1L - First Year Lesson Topics

This set of Topics covers subjects typically taught during the first year of law school.
Lesson Viewed

Advice to a 1L From a Law Professor Podcast

A Question and Answer session with Prof. McFarland, author of several of CALI's lessons in Tort Law and Civil Procedure. Prof. McFarland has been teaching for over 30 years. His comments in this podcast about the first semester of law school focus on the Socratic method, preparing for class, note-taking during class, class participation, "riding out" that "lost at sea" feel common during the first few weeks of law school, the appropriate use of study aids, advice about law school exams, and general advice on doing well in law school.

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Affirmative Action and Equal Protection

This lesson considers equal protection and affirmative action. It treats the beginnings of affirmative action, the level of scrutiny that applies to affirmative action, the special context of affirmative action and education, and affirmative action and the political process, including redistricting.

It can be used as an introduction, supplement, or as review. This lesson presumes completion of the CALI Lesson Race and Equal Protection.

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Agreements Lacking Consideration: Gift Promises - Discussions in Contracts Podcast

This podcast considers when agreements are not enforceable as contracts because they are not supported by consideration due to the fact that the promise is a gift. Analyzing hypotheticals, the podcast examines common situations involving gift promises, including conditional gifts, and charitable promises. Cases discussed include Schnell v. Nell, 17 Ind. 29 (1861) and Hamer v. Sidway, 124 N.Y. 538, 27 N.E. 256 (1891).

Lesson Viewed

Agreements Lacking Consideration: Past Consideration and Moral Obligation

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.

Lesson Viewed

Alabama Legal Research: Primary Resources

This lesson will familiarize the user with Alabama's primary sources, including the state constitution, statutes, administrative regulations, and case law. Among other things, this lesson addresses how a bill becomes law in Alabama, five ways to find Alabama statutes, and six ways to find Alabama cases with the West Digest System. The lesson discusses print and online sources, including researching primary law with free online services. This lesson does not cover secondary sources, such as treatises and law review articles.

No prior knowledge of Alabama legal research is necessary to follow this lesson.

Lesson Viewed

American Indian Treaties

This lesson will teach you how to locate treaties between Indian tribes and the United States government. It will also show you how to determine whether a particular treaty provision is still in effect and how to interpret ambiguous treaty provisions.

Lesson Viewed

American Law Reports

This lesson is an introduction to the American Law Reports (ALR) and is intended for use by students in introductory legal research classes. The goal is to give you an understanding of the features of the resource, the best methods for using it, and an understanding of when to use it. The lesson covers both print and electronic formats of ALR.

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