TORTS SYLLABUS

Fall 2009 - Professor Johnson (Updated 10/20/09)


Meeting Times and Location Text for the Class
Attendance Policy Contact Professor Johnson

Class assignments:

August
 
         
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29 
30
31 
       
 
September
 
 
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
     
October
 
     
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31 
November
 
 
         
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28 
29
30 
       
 
December
             
   
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22 
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31 
   

August 25
Development of Liability Based Upon Fault
Read pp. 1-10


August 26
  Development of Liability Based Upon Fault (cont.)
Pages 10-16


August 27
Intent
Pages 17-23


August 28
Intent
Pages 23-29


September 1
Battery
Pages 29-37
CALI Exercises are available for Battery and Assault


September 2
Assault; False Imprisonment
Pages 37-42
Website
CALI Exercise is available for False Imprisonment


September 3
False Imprisonment (cont.); Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
Pages 42-48; Pages 50-54


September 4
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress (cont.)
Pages 54- 66
CALI Exercise is available for Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress


September 8
Trespass to Land
Pages 66- 72


September 9
Trespass to Land (cont.); Trespass to Chattels
72-81
Websites


September 10
Privileges: Consent
91-99


September 11
Privileges: Consent; Self-Defense; Defense of Others
Pages 99-103; Skim 103-107



September 15
Defense of property; Recovery of property
Pages 107-118
Website


September 16
Necessity, Authority of Law, Discipline, Justification
Pages 118-130
CALI Exercise available on Summary of Intentional Torts


September 17
Negligence: Introduction
Pages 131-141


September 18
Negligence: Introduction; Negligence: The Reasonable Person
Pages 141-150


September 22
Negligence: The Reasonable Person
Pages 150-157


September 23
Negligence: The Reasonable Person
Pages 157-168


September 24
Negligence: The Reasonable Person
Pages 168-181


September 25
Negligence: The Reasonable Person
Pages 181-197
CALI Exercises available on the Reasonable Person, Standard of Care for Professionals, and
Children and Others of Diminished Capacity

September 29
Negligence: Rule of Law; Violation of a Statute
Pages 200-215

September 30
Negligence: Violation of a Statute (cont.)
Pages 215-224

October 1
Negligence: Violation of a Statute (cont.); Proof of Negligence: Circumstantial Evidence
Pages 224-237


October 2
Proof of Negligence: Res Ipsa Loquitor
Pages 237-250
CALI Exercise available on Res Ipsa Loquitor


October 6
Res Ipsa Loquitor (cont.); Causation in Fact
Pages 250-258; 259-262


October 7
Causation in Fact (cont.)
Pages 262-270


October 8
Causation in Fact (cont.)
Pages 270-282


October 9
Causation in Fact: Concurrent Causes; Multiple Causes
Pages 282-292


October 13
Proximate Cause
Pages 293-308


October 14
Proximate Cause
Pages 308-325
Weblink - Palsgraf


October 15
Proximate Cause: Intervening Causes
Pages 325-335


October 16
Proximate Cause: Intervening Causes
Pages 335-344
Proximate Cause: Public Policy
Pages 344-349
CALI Exercise available on Intervening Causes


October 20
Proximate Cause: Public Policy
Pages 349-355


October 21
Negligence: Duty of Care, Failure to Act
Pages 417-420; 432-438


October 22
Defenses to Negligence: Contributory and Comparative Negligence
Pages 586-601
  CALI Exercise available on Comparative Fault and on Contributory Negligence


October 23
Defenses to Negligence: Assumption of Risk
Pages 601-607


October 27
Defenses to Negligence: Assumption of Risk
Pages 607-610
Defenses to Negligence: Statutes of Limitation
Pages 614-621
CALI Exercise available on Assumption of Risk


October 28
Defenses to Negligence: Family Immunities
Pages 621-633


October 29
Defenses to Negligence: Charitable Immunity, Government Immunity
Pages 633-648



October 30
Climate Change Conference
 

November 3
Damages
Pages 519-530


November  4
Damages
Skim Pages 531-539
Read Pages 540-545



November 5
Damages
Read Pages 545-548
Skim Pages 548-550
Read Pages 550-556



November  6
Law Review Symposium


November 10
Damages
Pages 556-564
Several CALI Exercises are available that address Damages


November 11
Joint and Several Liability
Pages 361-371


November 12
Joint and Several Liability
Pages 371-378; 383-386



November 13
Joint and Several Liability
Pages 386-392


November 17
Vicarious Liability
Pages 660-667


November 18
Vicarious Liability (cont.); Strict Liability
Pages 667-669; Skim 671-673; Read 686 - 699
CALI Exercises available for Strict Liability



November 19
Strict Liability
Pages 699-714
CALI Exercises available for Strict Liability


November 20
Strict Liability
Continued from Nov. 21


November 24-27
Fall Break


December 1
Premises Liability
Pages 485-498



December 2
Exam Review


December 10
Exam

Meeting Times and Location

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: 9:40 in Classroom A


Text

Prosser, Wade and Schwartz, Torts: Eleventh Edition.


Attendance Policy

Attendance is mandatory.  If a student accumulates more than 8 unexcused absences during the semester, the student will not pass the course.  A student who has not read the assigned materials for the class will be marked absent.

Preparation for class is mandatory.  Class participation will be considered in grading.


Contact information
Professor Stephen Johnson
Dean's Office
(478) 301-2192
Johnson_s@law.mercer.edu