Introduction to Law Course

Lesson 1 • Structure of Court Systems

Maps trial courts, appellate courts, and supreme courts within a typical hierarchy. Explains jurisdiction and how cases move through the system.

Lesson 2 • Sources of Law

Identifies constitutions, statutes, regulations, and case law as primary sources. Shows how each source interacts within a legal hierarchy.

Lesson 3 • What Law Is and Why It Exists

Defines law as a system of enforceable rules governing conduct. Anchors the chapter by explaining law's social, moral, and political purposes.

Lesson 4 • Major Legal Traditions Worldwide

Surveys common law, civil law, religious law, and customary law traditions. Provides comparative context for understanding domestic legal rules.

Lesson 1 • Statutory Interpretation Methods

Covers textual, purposive, and contextual approaches to reading statutes. Equips students to resolve ambiguity in legislative language.

Lesson 2 • Reading and Briefing Cases

Teaches the IRAC method and case briefing to extract legal holdings. Builds the skill of distinguishing holdings from dicta.

Lesson 3 • Constructing a Legal Argument

Guides students through building a structured legal argument using rules and facts. Reinforces reasoning skills with practical drafting exercises.

Lesson 4 • How Lawyers Think and Argue

Introduces deductive and inductive reasoning as applied to legal problems. Connects logical structure to the persuasive demands of legal practice.

Lesson 1 • Limits on Government Power

Examines procedural and substantive constraints on legislative and executive action. Applies constitutional doctrine to hypothetical government conduct.

Lesson 2 • Constitutional Structure and Supremacy

Explains the constitution as the supreme law and its relationship to other sources. Establishes the framework for all subsequent constitutional analysis.

Lesson 3 • Federalism and Division of Powers

Analyzes how power is divided between central and regional governments. Identifies conflicts that arise from overlapping governmental authority.

Lesson 4 • Judicial Review and Constitutional Interpretation

Explains how courts assess whether government acts violate the constitution. Introduces standards of review applied in constitutional cases.

Lesson 1 • Contract Terms and Interpretation

Distinguishes express, implied, and incorporated terms and explains how courts interpret ambiguous language. Builds on statutory interpretation skills.

Lesson 2 • Remedies for Breach of Contract

Surveys damages, specific performance, and restitution as remedies. Applies remedy rules to fact patterns to determine appropriate relief.

Lesson 3 • Performance, Breach, and Discharge

Analyzes when obligations are fulfilled, breached, or discharged by law. Connects performance standards to remedies available to injured parties.

Lesson 4 • Elements of a Valid Contract

Defines offer, acceptance, consideration, and capacity as formation requirements. Provides the analytical checklist used throughout contract law.

Lesson 1 • Damages in Negligence

Covers compensatory, nominal, and punitive damages in negligence claims. Connects damage types to proof requirements and policy rationales.

Lesson 2 • Negligence: Duty, Breach, and Causation

Breaks down the four-element negligence test with emphasis on duty and causation. Applies the reasonable person standard to varied fact patterns.

Lesson 3 • Defenses and Strict Liability

Examines consent, self-defense, and contributory negligence as defenses. Introduces strict liability for abnormally dangerous activities.

Lesson 4 • Introduction to Tort Law

Distinguishes torts from crimes and contracts and explains the compensation goal. Frames the chapter's analysis of civil liability.

Lesson 1 • Inchoate Offenses and Complicity

Covers attempt, conspiracy, and solicitation as incomplete offenses. Explains accomplice liability and its relationship to the principal offense.

Lesson 2 • Nature and Purpose of Criminal Law

Explains punishment theories and the distinction between criminal and civil liability. Grounds subsequent analysis in the rationale for state prosecution.

Lesson 3 • Crimes Against Persons and Property

Surveys homicide, assault, theft, and fraud as representative offense categories. Distinguishes degrees and variants within each offense type.

Lesson 4 • Elements of a Criminal Offense

Defines actus reus, mens rea, concurrence, and causation as offense elements. Applies the element framework to common criminal offenses.

Lesson 1 • Trial Process and Evidence

Walks through jury selection, opening statements, examination of witnesses, and closing arguments. Introduces basic evidentiary rules governing admissibility.

Lesson 2 • Discovery and Pre-Trial Motions

Surveys interrogatories, depositions, document requests, and dispositive motions. Shows how discovery shapes the evidence available at trial.

Lesson 3 • Judgment, Appeals, and Enforcement

Explains how courts enter judgments, how parties appeal, and how winning parties enforce awards. Connects appellate review to precedent formation.

Lesson 4 • Initiating a Civil Lawsuit

Explains pleadings, service of process, and standing as prerequisites to litigation. Connects procedural requirements to constitutional due process.

Lesson 1 • Confidentiality and Privilege

Distinguishes the ethical duty of confidentiality from the evidentiary attorney-client privilege. Identifies exceptions that permit or require disclosure.

Lesson 2 • Sources of Professional Responsibility Rules

Identifies bar association rules, codes of conduct, and disciplinary bodies as governance sources. Establishes the regulatory framework for attorney conduct.

Lesson 3 • Attorney-Client Relationship

Covers formation, scope, and termination of the attorney-client relationship. Analyzes duties of loyalty, communication, and competence owed to clients.

Lesson 4 • Candor, Fairness, and Advocacy Limits

Examines duties of candor to tribunals and fairness to opposing parties. Balances zealous advocacy with ethical constraints on litigation conduct.