American Contract Law I (along with its sister course Contracts II) provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods.
By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand:
Formation: how a valid and enforceable contract is created, including concepts such as offer, acceptance, consideration, and promissory estoppel.
What's included
12 videos14 readings5 assignments1 plugin
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12 videos•Total 145 minutes
Welcome to Contracts•6 minutes
Default Rules, Altering Rules and Mandatory Rules•14 minutes
Hammer v. Sidway•13 minutes
Ricketts v. Scothorn•12 minutes
Bolin Farms v. American Cotton Shippers•8 minutes
The Ex Ante and Ex Post Perspectives•15 minutes
Williams v. Walker-Thomas Furniture - "Installment Loan"•16 minutes
Enforcement of Money Judgments•10 minutes
Property Rules and Liability•9 minutes
Jacob & Youngs v. Kent•15 minutes
Sullivan v. O'Connor - "Nose Job"•22 minutes
The Coase Theorem•7 minutes
14 readings•Total 165 minutes
About the Course•10 minutes
The Uniform Commercial Code•5 minutes
The Restatement (2nd) of Contracts•5 minutes
Pre Course Survey•10 minutes
Filling Gaps in Incomplete Contracts (recommended)•10 minutes
UCC §§1-102, 1-103, 2-102•10 minutes
Hamer v. Sidway Case Decision•15 minutes
Ricketts v. Scothorn Case Decision•15 minutes
Bolin Farms v. American Cotton Shippers Case Decision•15 minutes
Williams v. Walker- Thomas Furniture Case Decision•15 minutes
Property Rules, Liability Rules and Inalienability•10 minutes
Jacob & Youngs v. Kent Case Decision•15 minutes
Sullivan v. O’Connor Case Decision•20 minutes
Your Learning, Your Way•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 140 minutes
Ricketts v. Scothorn•30 minutes
Bolin Farms v. American Cotton Shippers•30 minutes
Williams v. Walker-Thomas Furniture•30 minutes
Jacob & Youngs v. Kent•30 minutes
Introduction•20 minutes
1 plugin•Total 1 minute
Module Feedback•1 minute
CONSIDERATION AND ITS SUBSTITUTES THE CONSIDERATION DOCTRINE I
Module 2•5 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
7 videos7 readings6 assignments1 plugin
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7 videos•Total 84 minutes
Kirksey v. Kirksey - "Moving Inconvenience"•12 minutes
Langer v. Superior Steel - "Repudiated Pension"•11 minutes
Nominal Consideration, The Seal and the Model Written Obligation Act•14 minutes
Cohen v. Cowles Media Co. "Journalist's Source"•11 minutes
Apfel v Prudential-Bache Securities "Worthless Computer Technique"•8 minutes
Jones v Star Credit•11 minutes
Alaska Packers' Assn' v. Domenico - "Sailors' Salary Increase"•17 minutes
7 readings•Total 61 minutes
Isaac Kirksey v. Angelico Kirksey Case Decision•10 minutes
William F. Langer v. Superior Steel Corp. Case Decision•10 minutes
Nominal Consideration, The Seal and The Model Written Obligation Act•10 minutes
Dan Cohen v. Cowles Media Co. Case Decision•10 minutes
Robert C. Apfel v. Prudential–Bache Securities, Inc.•10 minutes
Clifton Jones v. Star Credit Corp. Case Decision•10 minutes
Alaska Packers’ Association v. Domenico Case Decision•1 minute
6 assignments•Total 180 minutes
Kirksey v. Kirksey•30 minutes
Nominal Consideration•30 minutes
Apfel v. Prudential-Bache Securities•30 minutes
Jones v. Star Credit Corp.•30 minutes
Alaska Packers' Association v. Domenico•30 minutes
Consideration and its Substitutes the Consideration Doctrine I•30 minutes
1 plugin•Total 1 minute
Module Feedback•1 minute
CONSIDERATION AND ITS SUBSTITUTES THE CONSIDERATION DOCTRINE II
Module 3•5 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
6 videos7 readings7 assignments1 plugin
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6 videos•Total 69 minutes
McMichael v. Price - "Sand Requirements"•7 minutes
Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon - "Output Contract for Product Endorsements"•10 minutes
Bailey v. West - "Bascom's Folly"•18 minutes
Mills v. Wyman - "Moral Obligation" & Webb v. McGowin - "Rescuer’s Recompense"•9 minutes
Allegheny College v. Nat. Chautauqua County Bank - "Donation"•10 minutes
Statute of Frauds•14 minutes
7 readings•Total 72 minutes
W. M. McMichael v. Harley T. Price Case Decision•10 minutes
Otis F. Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff–Gordon Case Decision•10 minutes
Howard E. Bailey v. Richard E. West Case Decision•2 minutes
Second Restatement § 86•5 minutes
Daniel Mills v. Seth Wyman•10 minutes
Joe Webb v. N. Floyd and Joseph F. McGowin Case Decision•15 minutes
Allegheny College v. National Chautauqua County Bank of Jamestown Case Decision•20 minutes
7 assignments•Total 180 minutes
McMichael v. Price•30 minutes
Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon•30 minutes
Bailey v. West•30 minutes
Mills v. Wyman•30 minutes
Allegheny College v. Nat. Chautauqua County Bank•30 minutes
Statute of Frauds•30 minutes
Consideration and its Substitutes the Consideration Doctrine II•0 minutes
1 plugin•Total 1 minute
Module Feedback•1 minute
THE BARGAIN RELATIONSHIP I
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
4 videos5 readings4 assignments1 plugin
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4 videos•Total 42 minutes
Embry v Hargadine - "Manifestation of Mutual Assent"•13 minutes
Lucy v. Zehmer - "Joking Offer"•8 minutes
Lefkowitz v. Great Minn. Surplus Store - "Ambiguous Offer"•9 minutes
Leonard v. Pepsico - "Harrier Jet Ad"•12 minutes
5 readings•Total 70 minutes
Embry v. Hargadine, McKittrick Dry Goods Co. Case Decision•10 minutes
UCC §§ 2-204, -205. -206, & -207•20 minutes
W.O. Lucy v. A.H. Zehmer•10 minutes
Morris Lefkowitz v. Great Minneapolis Surplus Store Case Decision•10 minutes
John Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc. Case Decision•20 minutes
4 assignments•Total 64 minutes
Lucy v. Zehmer•30 minutes
Lefkowitz v. Great Minneapolis Surplus Store•4 minutes
Leonard v. Pepsico•30 minutes
The Bargain Relationship I•0 minutes
1 plugin•Total 1 minute
Module Feedback•1 minute
THE BARGAIN RELATIONSHIP II
Module 5•4 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
5 videos5 readings5 assignments1 plugin
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 66 minutes
Ever-Tite Roofing v. Green - "Performance as Acceptance"•13 minutes
Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball - "Medical Warrantee"•10 minutes
Ammons v. Wison & Co. - "K.C. Shortening"•9 minutes
Beneficial National Bank, USA v. Obie Payton - "Unilateral Credit Card Change"•16 minutes
Adams v. Lindsell - "Misdirected Missive"•18 minutes
5 readings•Total 65 minutes
Ever–Tite Roofing Corp. v. G.T. Green Case Decision•15 minutes
Louisa Elizabeth Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball Co. Case Decision•15 minutes
R.L. Ammons v. Wilson & Co. Case Brief•10 minutes
Beneficial National Bank, U.S.A v. Obie Payton Case Decision•15 minutes
Adams v. Lindsell Case Decision•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Ever-Tite Roofing v. Green•30 minutes
Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball•30 minutes
Ammons v. Wilson & Co.•30 minutes
Beneficial National Bank, USA v. Obie Payton•30 minutes
The Bargain Relationship II•0 minutes
1 plugin•Total 1 minute
Module Feedback•1 minute
THE BARGAIN RELATIONSHIP III
Module 6•4 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
4 videos4 readings5 assignments1 plugin
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 48 minutes
Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway v. Columbus Rolling-Mill - "The Mirror Image Rule"•10 minutes
Textile Unlimited, Inc. v. A . BMH and Company - "Yarn Battle of Forms"•15 minutes
The Gateway Cases - "Acceptance by Non-Return"•9 minutes
Specht v. Netscape - "No Clickwrap"•14 minutes
4 readings•Total 60 minutes
Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Co. v. Columbus Rolling–Mill Co. Case Decision•10 minutes
Textile Unlimited, Inc. v. A. .BMH and Company, Inc. Case Decision•15 minutes
Rich Hill v. Gateway 2000 & William Klocek v. Gateway Case Decisions•20 minutes
Christopher Specht v. Netscape Communications Corporation Case Decision•15 minutes
5 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway v. Columbus Rolling-Mill•30 minutes
Textile Unlimited, Inc. v. A. BMH and Company•30 minutes
The Gateway Cases•30 minutes
Specht v. Netscape•30 minutes
The Bargain Relationship III•0 minutes
1 plugin•Total 1 minute
Module Feedback•1 minute
THE BARGAIN RELATIONSHIP IV
Module 7•3 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
4 videos5 readings4 assignments1 plugin
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 50 minutes
Drennan v. Star Paving - "Mistaken Bid"•14 minutes
Raffles v. Wichelhaus - "Peerless Ships"•9 minutes
Hoffman v. Red Owl Stores - "Promised Store"•15 minutes
Dixon v. Wells Fargo - "Unfulfilled Mortgage Modification"•12 minutes
5 readings•Total 65 minutes
William Drennan v. Star Paving Co. Case Decision•15 minutes
Raffles v. Wichelhaus Case Decision•10 minutes
Joseph Hoffman v. Red Owl Stores, Inc. Case Decision•15 minutes
Frank Dixon v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.•15 minutes
Congratulations!•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Drennan v. Star Paving•30 minutes
Raffles v. Wichelhaus•30 minutes
Dixon v. Wells Fargo•30 minutes
The Bargain Relationship IV•0 minutes
1 plugin•Total 1 minute
Module Feedback•1 minute
Instructor
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4 stars
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3 stars
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AH
5·
Reviewed on May 2, 2019
This course is an interesting, entertaining, and informative introduction to the prerequisites to contracting. I really enjoyed it and look forward to building on the foundation it provides.
H
H
5·
Reviewed on Feb 18, 2025
This is a very interesting course indeed, glad i enrolled myself in it especially that i am working hard on my legal language as a foreign Law student .
J
JS
4·
Reviewed on Jun 12, 2020
Great course and easy to follow. Would love the readings to be a little more of a summary rather than the whole case but nevertheless an amazing set up!
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