TORTS SYLLABUS

Fall 2012 - Professor Johnson 

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

Class assignments:

August
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 28 29  30   31
 

September
 
 
 
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October
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 30 31

November
 
 
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December
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August 21
Development of Liability Based Upon Fault
Read pp. 1-10
 
August 22
  Development of Liability Based Upon Fault (cont.)
Pages 10-16
 
August 23
Intent
Pages 17-24
 
August 24
Intent
Pages 24-30
 
August 28
Battery
Pages 30-37
CALI Exercises are available for Battery and Assault
 
August 29
Assault; False Imprisonment
Pages 37-43
CALI Exercise is available for False Imprisonment
 
August 30
False Imprisonment (cont.); Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
Pages 43-49; Pages 51-55
 
August 31
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress (cont.)
Pages 55 - 68
CALI Exercise is available for Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress  
 
September 4
Trespass to Land
Pages 68- 72; Bradley v. American Smelting and Refining Co.  
 
September 5
Trespass to Land (cont.); Trespass to Chattels
72-81
 
September 6
Privileges: Consent
92-100
 
September 7
Privileges: Consent; Self-Defense; Defense of Others
Pages 100-104; Skim 104-108 
 
September 11
Defense of property; Recovery of property
Pages 108-120
 
September 12
Necessity, Authority of Law, Discipline, Justification
Pages 120-132
CALI Exercise available on Summary of Intentional Torts
 
September 13
Negligence: Introduction
Pages 133-143
 
September 14
Negligence: Introduction; Negligence: The Reasonable Person
Pages 145-155
 
September 18
Negligence: The Reasonable Person
Pages 155-166
 
September 19
Negligence: The Reasonable Person
Pages 166-179
 
September 20
Negligence: The Reasonable Person
Pages 179-187
 
September 21
Negligence: The Reasonable Person
Pages 187-204
CALI Exercises available on the Reasonable Person, Standard of Care for Professionals, and
Children and Others of Diminished Capacity
 
September 25
Negligence: Rule of Law; Violation of a Statute
Pages 208-218
  
September 26
Negligence: Violation of a Statute (cont.)
Pages 218-232
 
September 27
Negligence: Violation of a Statute (cont.); Proof of Negligence: Circumstantial Evidence
Pages 232-245
 
September 28
Proof of Negligence: Res Ipsa Loquitor
Pages 245-258
CALI Exercise available on Res Ipsa Loquitor
 
October 2
Res Ipsa Loquitor (cont.); Causation in Fact
Pages 258-267; 268-271
 
October 3
Causation in Fact (cont.)
Pages 271-279
 
October 4
Causation in Fact (cont.)
Pages 279-291
 
October 5
Law Review Symposium - Class cancelled
   
October 9
Causation in Fact: Concurrent Causes; Multiple Causes
Pages 291-302  
 
October 10
Proximate Cause
Pages 303-318  
 
October 11
Proximate Cause
Pages 319-336
Weblink - Palsgraf
 
October 12
Proximate Cause: Intervening Causes
Pages 336-346
  
October 16
Proximate Cause: Intervening Causes
Pages 350-356
Proximate Cause: Public Policy
Pages 356-362
CALI Exercise available on Intervening Causes
 
October 17
Proximate Cause: Public Policy
Pages 362-368  
 
October 18
Negligence: Duty of Care, Failure to Act
Pages 431-433; 447-452; Skim 435-440  
 
October 19
Defenses to Negligence: Contributory and Comparative Negligence
Pages 609-625
  CALI Exercise available on Comparative Fault and on Contributory Negligence  
 
October 23
Defenses to Negligence: Assumption of Risk
Pages 625-631  
 
October 24
Defenses to Negligence: Assumption of Risk
Pages 631-634
Defenses to Negligence: Statutes of Limitation
Pages 639-646
CALI Exercise available on Assumption of Risk  
 
October 25
Defenses to Negligence: Family Immunities
Pages 647-658
 
October 26
Defenses to Negligence: Charitable Immunity, Government Immunity
Pages 658-675
 

October 30
Class Cancelled

October 31
Damages
Pages 534-546
 
November 1
Damages
Skim Pages 546-555
Read Pages 556-561
  
November 2
Damages
Read Pages 561-563
Skim Pages 563-566
Read Pages 566-572
 
November 6
Damages
Pages 572-578;582-585
Several CALI Exercises are available that address Damages
 
November 7
Joint and Several Liability
Pages 374-384
 
November 8
Joint and Several Liability
Pages 384-392; 396-399
 
November 9
Class Cancelled
 
November 13
Joint and Several Liability
Pages 399-405
 
November 14
Vicarious Liability
Pages 688-695
  
November 15
Vicarious Liability (cont.); Strict Liability
Pages 695-697; Skim 699-701; Read 713 - 726
CALI Exercises available for Strict Liability
  
November 16
Strict Liability
Pages 726-741
CALI Exercises available for Strict Liability
 
November 19-23
Fall Break  
 
November 27
Wrongful Death; Survival
  Pages 586-592; 595-597; 600-603
CALI Exercise available on "Damages for Injuries That Cause Death"  
     
November 28
Exam Review
 
December 8
Exam
 

Meeting Times and Location

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

Text

Prosser, Wade and Schwartz, Torts: Twelfth 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
Room 375
(478) 301-2192
Johnson_s@law.mercer.edu