The first semester of law school is mostly about learning to speak a new legal language (but emphatically not “legalese”), to formulate and evaluate legal arguments, to become comfortable with the distinctive style of legal analysis. We could teach these skills using almost any legal topic. But we begin the first-year curriculum with subjects that pervade the entire field of law. Contract principles have a long history and they form a significant part of the way that lawyers think about many legal problems. As you will discover when you study insurance law, employment law, family law, and dozens of other practice areas, your knowledge of contract doctrine and theory will be invaluable.

Ruthann Robson, is Professor of Law & University Distinguished Professor. She is the author of Dressing Constitutionally: Hierarchy, Sexuality, and Democracy (2013), as well as the books Sappho Goes to Law School (1998); Gay Men, Lesbians, and the Law (1996); and Lesbian (Out)Law: Survival Under the Rule of Law (1992), and the editor of the three volume set, International Library of Essays in Sexuality & Law (2011). She is a frequent commentator on constitutional and sexuality issues and the co-editor of the Constitutional Law Professors Blog. She is one of the 26 professors selected for inclusion in What the Best Law Teachers Do (Harvard University Press, 2013).

Credit cards allow the cardholder to make purchases without using cash since the purchases are made with debt. The terms of the lending arrangement are governed by the agreement between the cardholder and the issuer, but federal regulations play an important part. In this lesson we will look at issuance of credit cards, disclosure requirements, use of credit cards, and the risk of error and loss on credit cards. Approximate Completion Time: 75 minutes

This text explores the laws governing the use of land. Sometimes narrowly focused, often intensely local, land use regulation may give the impression of a highly specialized field with small stakes.

Professor Bradford teaches primarily securities regulation and business associations courses. He is the co-author of an introductory book on accounting, Basic Accounting Principles for Lawyers and numerous articles on securities regulation and regulatory exemptions. He also has a strong interest in legal humor and has authored several humorous law review articles, some of them intentionally humorous. Professor Bradford is a member of the CALI Editorial Board, and was a CALI Business Organizations fellow. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Villanova Journal of Law and Investment Management and a member of the Executive Committee of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Academic Senate. Professor Bradford received his B.S. degree (summa cum laude) from Utah State in 1978, and a M.P.P. and J.D. (magna cum laude) from Harvard University in 1982. Prior to teaching at Nebraska, he worked for the law firm of Jenkens & Gilchrist in Dallas.

This lesson is an introduction to health law with a concentration on health care law and is intended for use by upper level students interested in researching health law and policy. However, this lesson may be utilized by any researcher interested in brushing up on their legal research skills. The goal of this lesson is to (1) provide an understanding of the regulatory scheme of health care institutions at both the state and federal level; and (2) give a critical overview of the features of analytical materials (secondary sources) that you may utilize for more in-depth understanding. Approximate Completion Time: 45 minutes

The use of testamentary trusts is becoming an important part of estate planning. As a result, students who want to make a living as probate attorneys will need to know how trusts fit into estate planning. In addition, bar examiners realize that it is important for students to have a basic knowledge of trust law. That realization will result in bar examination questions that test that knowledge. This book is designed for use as a supplementary text for a course on wills and trusts and the primary text in a seminar or course exploring the law of trusts.

Robin Kundis Craig has been appointed to a National Research Council Committee on the Mississippi River and the Clean Water Act. She is the author of numerous articles on environmental law, most of which focus on water, the oceans, and the Clean Water Act. Thomason/West published her textbook on environmental law, Environmental Law in Context, in Spring 2005. Professor Craig is also the author of The Clean Water Act and the Constitution, published by the Environmental Law Institute in late 2004.

This lesson explores one of the fundamental requirements for contract formation, mutual assent. Mutual Assent is a mutual manifestation of assent to the terms of an agreement. This lesson looks at how parties establish mutual assent, including manifestations of mutual assent by words and conduct and the effect of misunderstanding. However, the attributes of offer and acceptance are covered in other lessons. This lesson concludes with a sample analysis exercise involving mutual assent. Approximate Completion Time: 40 minutes

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