Contract Law for Paralegals

Description

For courses in contract law for paralegals.
A hands-on guide to contract development
Contract Law for Paralegals introduces future paralegals to all facets of contract preparation, including ethical, practical, and professional issues. Updated for current case law, the text combines a strong foundation in essential principles with actionable insight into researching, creating, and interpreting contracts. Along the way, students practice drafting contracts for equipment, real estate, and business sales, while completing critical thinking assignments involving attorney briefings and legal cases. The 3rd edition includes new and revised contract examples, contract law cases, and exercises that build skills, provide drafting practice, and generate samples for a paralegal portfolio.

Hallmark features of this title

Extensive use of real cases

• A real-world case scenario begins each chapter, providing practical context for concepts and techniques. Scenarios are revisited at the end of chapters, supporting critical thinking and effective review.
• Critical Legal Thinking Cases provide opportunities for students to apply the legal theory they’ve just learned.
• U.S. Supreme Court cases lead students to reflect on the current state of contract law.

Practical career preparation

• Briefing the Case writing assignments teach students how to quickly summarize a case’s key points, a common task for the professional paralegal.
• Career Front special features present sample job descriptions for paralegals in varying legal areas, helping students identify possible career pursuits.

New and updated features of this title

Active practice in contract development

• REVISED: Hands-on Drafting exercises guide learners through the drafting of various types of legal contracts, such as those for sale of equipment, business purchase agreements and real estate purchase agreements.
• EXPANDED: Paralegal Portfolio exercises help learners create a portfolio of realistic legal documents they can present to future hiring managers. New exercises appear in this edition.
• REVISED: Skill-Building exercises require students to break down a contract’s main components and apply facts from sample scenarios.
• EXPANDED: Contract examples, including new ones in this edition, represent the types of contracts paralegals may be called upon to draft, such as health club, cell phone and online contracts.

Case law practice

• REVISED: Working the Web exercises show students how to locate and interpret relevant case law online.
• EXPANDED: Additional contract law cases appear in the new edition, along with explanations of their significance and citations in a proper BlueBook format so students can pursue further research.

For courses in contract law for paralegals.

A hands-on guide to contract development
Contract Law for Paralegals introduces future paralegals to all facets of contract preparation, including ethical, practical, and professional issues. Updated for current case law, the text combines a strong foundation in essential principles with actionable insight into researching, creating, and interpreting contracts. Along the way, students practice drafting contracts for equipment, real estate, and business sales, while completing critical thinking assignments involving attorney briefings and legal cases. The 3rd edition includes new and revised contract examples, contract law cases, and exercises that build skills, provide drafting practice, and generate samples for a paralegal portfolio.

PART I: TRADITIONAL AND E-COMMERCE CONTRACTS
1. Nature of Traditional and E-Contracts
2. Agreement
3. Consideration and Equity
4. Capacity and Legality
5. Genuineness of Assent
6. Writing, Formality, and E-Commerce Signature Law
7. Third-Party Rights and Discharge
8. Remedies for Breach of Traditional and E-Contracts
9. E-Contracts and Internet Law

PART II: DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL SALES AND LEASE CONTRACTS
10. Formation of Sales and Lease Contracts
11. Performance of Sales and Lease Contracts
12. Remedies for Breach of Sales and Lease Contracts
13. Sales and Lease Warranties

PART III: CONTRACT RELATIONSHIPS AND SPECIAL FORMS
14. Relationship of Tort Law To Contract Law
15. Special Forms of Contracts

List of Cases Reported

APPENDICES
A. IRAC Instructions for Briefing a Case and Writing Assignment Cases
B. Cases for “Briefing the Case Writing Assignments”
C. Sample Contracts
D. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)

About our authors

John J. Schlageter, III, is the director of the paralegal studies program and a senior lecturer at the University of Toledo. This award-winning paralegal program holds prestigious American Bar Association approval and was named a “Program of Excellence” by the Ohio Board of Regents. In addition to teaching business organizations for the last 13 years, throughout his 20-year teaching career, Professor Schlageter has taught many courses, including Business Law, Business Professionalism, Law Practice Management, Civil Procedure, Litigation, Contracts, Introduction to Law and the Internship class.

Professor Schlageter is a recipient of The University of Toledo’s Outstanding Teacher Award for his commitment to student success and significant contributions to the mission of the University of Toledo. Professor Schlageter has also completed Mediation Training by the International Academy of Dispute Resolution and has met all other requirements to become an authorized mediator of the Academy. He has also taught Mediation Topics and Techniques. In addition, Professor Schlageter teaches Advocacy: Mock Trial and has coached the University of Toledo Mock Trial Team in performances at both regional and national competitions. In all of his courses, Professor Schlageter incorporates the use of computers and legal software and enjoys integrating skills pertaining to the electronic courthouse and automated courtroom and presentation graphics.

Professor Schlageter is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati (BA) and the University of Toledo, College of Law. After earning his juris doctor (JD) degree, he was admitted to the Ohio and Michigan bars, as well as the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, and the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan. He is a member of the Toledo Bar Association, the Michigan State Bar Association, and the Michigan Trial Lawyers’ Association. Professor Schlageter maintains a law practice in Toledo. He is experienced in the areas of general business, litigation, employment, franchise, estate planning, personal injury and family law.

Professor Schlageter has repeatedly served as a guest speaker and has presented at various seminars on subjects including electronic discovery, professionalism and the role of the paralegal. He coauthored another textbook for the paralegal market with Kathleen Mercer Reed and Henry R. Cheeseman, Business Organizations for Paralegals, published by Pearson.

Professor Schlageter resides in Sylvania, Ohio, with his wife, Amanda, and their children, Emma, Grace and Jack.

Henry R. Cheeseman is clinical professor of business law, director of the Legal Studies Program, and co-director of the Minor in Business Law Program at the Marshall School of Business of the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. Professor Cheeseman earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Marquette University, both a master’s in business administration (MBA) and a master’s in business taxation (MBT) from USC, a juris doctor (JD) degree from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, a Master of Business Administration with emphasis on law and economics from the University of Chicago, and a master’s in law (LLM) degree in financial institutions law from Boston University.

Professor Cheeseman has earned the “Golden Apple” Teaching Award on many occasions by having been voted by the students as the best professor at USC’s Marshall School of Business. He was named a fellow of the Center for Excellence in Teaching USC by the dean of the Marshall School of Business. The USC’s Torch and Tassel Chapter of the Mortar Board has named Professor Cheeseman Faculty of the Month of USC.

Professor Cheeseman coauthored another textbook for the paralegal market with Kathleen Mercer Reed and John J. Schlageter, III, Business Organizations for Paralegals, published by Pearson. He also writes leading business law and legal environment textbooks that are published by Pearson. These include Business Law: Legal Environment, Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and International Issues; Contemporary Business and Online Commerce Law; The Legal Environment of Business and Online Commerce; Essentials of Contemporary Business Law; and Introduction to Law: Its Dynamic Nature.

Professor Cheeseman is an avid traveler and amateur photographer.