Study Guides for Law Student Success

This Understanding treatise is designed for first-year law students enrolled in Contracts. The text explains common law principles of contract law using cases and examples that students commonly encounter in this first-year course. It also explains and illustrates Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, which deal with sales of goods that are frequently covered in Contracts. This edition includes material on the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods, and the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts, appropriate to a basic course in Contracts, and on modern statutes regarding electronic contracting. The fourth edition contains a revised chapter on the difficult concept of Promissory Estoppel and includes discussions of recent decisions dealing with consumer arbitration clauses.

Understand better what you're learning in Contracts class and prepare effectively for exams by applying concepts as you learn them. This study guide includes 230 multiple-choice and short-answer questions arranged topically for ease of use during the semester, plus an additional set of 20 questions comprising a comprehensive "practice exam." For each multiple-choice question, Professor Rowley provides a detailed answer that indicates which of four options is the best answer and explains thoroughly why that option is better than the other three options. Each short-answer question is designed to be answered in fifteen minutes or less. For these questions, Professor Rowley provides a thoughtful, comprehensive, yet brief model answer.

The Skills & Values Series is an innovative hybrid series of subject-specific, practice-oriented books and online materials supported by Web Courses (powered by Blackboard 9.1). The series is designed as a tool for professors to teach practical and analytical skills that can help students serve future clients competently, skillfully, and in an ethical manner. Skills & Values: Contracts allows students to experience the connection between theory, doctrine, and practice in Contracts law. The exercises provide an opportunity for studying Contract concepts from the perspective of a practicing attorney who must not only know the law, but also employ lawyering skills and values - such as legal strategy, factual development, advocacy, counseling, drafting, problem solving, and ethical principles - in zealously representing a client.

Mastering Contract Law explores the basic principles and purposes of contract law, including a discussion of background principles and traditions of private ordering. The book explains contract formation, interpretation, and the requirement of written evidence for enforcement of certain types of promises. It explores the themes and doctrines of reliance, restitution, and the importance of public policy in contract law. Chapters include all of the areas of contract law typically covered in the first-year course, including the bargained-for exchange, unenforceable contracts, performance and breach, obstacles to performance, modification, pre-contractual obligation, remedies and damages, and stakeholders other than contracting parties, including the third-party beneficiary doctrine, delegation and assignment.The organization of the book reflects the five sequential questions that frame the thought processes of lawyers and judges dealing with contracts issues.

"This Nutshell provides a comprehensive guide to the law of contracts. It contains expert explanations of contract concepts under both the common law and Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code. It also includes the basics of the Law of Restitution and an introduction to digital contracting."

Description: Brain's Exam Pro on Contracts, Objective Questions includes over 330 objective questions covering every substantive area of Contract Law. Each answer choice explains why each answer is either correct or incorrect. Elements and rules are explained in easy-to-understand language, with a step-by-step guide on how to analyze question-types. Liberal citation to applicable sections of the Restatement (Second) Contracts, the Uniform Commercial Code, and important contract law cases, allows the students to match a question to his or her outline and class discussion. Exam preparation tips include how to prepare for graded exams, how professors construct multiple choice questions, and how to avoid common “distracters.”

Description: This Exam Pro consists of essay questions actually given by Contracts professors throughout the United States. Every question contains a detailed explanation, along with analytical steps explained in easy-to-understand, basic language, and a step-by-step guide on how to analyze each major issue.

BarBri outlines are available from Lexis. Use your Law School Lexis password.

Westlaw provides outline shells and suggested resources with their Law School Tool Kit.

The Center is best known for CALI Lessons, online interactive tutorials in legal subjects.

Please contact the reference desk at 780-4351 or lawref@maine.edu or maureen.quinlan@maine.edu
The CALI database is only available to University of Maine School of Law students.

This lesson deals with one aspect of contract formation, acceptance. Acceptance is the manifestation of assent that is made by the offeree in response to an offer. In this lesson, you will learn how a party can accept an offer at common law. The lesson takes up issues such as the manner of acceptance, who can accept, silence as acceptance, rejection and counter-offer. The lesson ends with a short analysis exercise on the subject of acceptance.

This lesson explores discharge of a debt by accord and satisfaction. It can be run either as an introduction to the study of accord and satisfaction or as a review after you have completed your study.

This lesson takes a look at one type of agreement that lacks consideration: gift promises. Consideration is often described as the bargained-for-exchange. The bargained-for-exchange is what induces the making of the promise by the offeror and the promise induces the furnishing of the consideration by the offeree. Consideration is the ordinary means for justifying the enforcement of the promises by the parties. Where a gift is made, bargained-for-exchange is lacking and the promises are not enforceable. This lesson sets out the basic requisites for identifying and evaluating a gift promise. The general attributes of consideration are covered in other lessons.

This lesson takes a look at two types of agreements that lack consideration: those supported by past consideration or moral obligation. Consideration is often described as the bargained-for-exchange. The bargained-for-exchange is what induces the making of the promise by the offeror and the promise induces the furnishing of the consideration by the offeree. Consideration is the ordinary means for justifying the enforcement of the promises by the parties. Where consideration was given in the past or the promisee is only morally obligated to make the promise, bargained-for-exchange is lacking and the promises are not enforceable.

This lesson explores the contours of anticipatory repudiation, including the repudiating promisor's ability to retract his repudiation, the nonrepudiating promisee's right to demand adequate assurances of performance, and the effect of the promisor's repudiation on the promisee's obligation to perform.