Study Methods

For each type of tort you will want to know what the elements of the cause of action are and what defenses are available.

This course will intersect with your courses in civil procedure and contracts. It will be important to understand the procedural posture of a case to understand fully the torts issues. For example, an issue arising at an early stage of the litigation may be resolved differently than at a later stage. And there will be times when a case presents both a torts and contract issuefor example a suit against a doctor for malpractice or against a seller of a defective product often contain both tort and contract issues.

My advice to students is to review the materials at regular intervals. Review class notes immediately after class and review all of the semester's notes each week. This will keep the materials fresh so that you won't have to cram at the end of the semester. This is a survey course and we will be covering a lot of different materials. Also, you will want to try to integrate what you are learning in this course with your other courses, and unless you review during the semester you won't be able to do that. Then, after the middle of the semester, try going over an exam from a previous year, so that you know what to expect in December.

Work in study groups! It is more efficient and more fun. You will find that you are not alone, and you will get moral support as well as information and insight from your classmates.