1L - First Year Lesson Topics

A Test lesson for your enjoyment.

It covers:

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Whether you are new to law school or have made it through a few semesters, there are always ways to improve your process and performance. This lesson uses your answers to help you determine the best CALI Law School Success lessons to help you meet your goals and tailors the advice depending on where you are in your law school career.

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 is one in a series of lessons on accomplice liability. In earlier lessons, we examined how accomplices were classified under the common law and the Model Penal Code. In addition, we examined the mens rea requirement for accomplice liability. In this lesson, we continue the discussion by examining the actus reus requirement of accomplice liability. This lesson is intended for students who have studied these issues in class, and who wish to further refine their knowledge and understanding of the topic.

At common law, a distinction was made between the perpetrator of a crime, and the perpetrator's accomplices. In this lesson, we examine the common law definitions that applied to accomplices, and modern approaches to complicity, including the Model Penal Code. This lesson is intended for students who have studied these issues in class, and who wish to refine their knowledge and understanding.

This lesson continues our discussion of accomplice liability. In a prior lesson, we examined how the common law and the Model Penal Code classified various types of accomplices. In another prior lesson, we examined the actus reus requirement for accomplice liability. In this lesson, we continue the discussion by focusing on the mens rea requirement for accomplice liability. The lesson is intended for students who have studied these issues in class, and who wish to refine their understanding and knowledge of the topic.

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 exercise provides an introduction to the act requirement. In particular, it addresses the definition of "act," voluntariness, liability for omissions (failures to act), and possession offenses.

This lesson helps students understand where cases fit in a final exam answer and develop arguments based on cases. Students' exam arguments should improve using this lesson's techniques.

This lesson also includes video commentary from the author that expands on the material in the lesson.

Law students are excellent readers, and this skill will lay the foundation for success throughout life. However, reading in law school requires more precision than previous educational activities. This lesson will deepen individuals reading skills specifically within the context of legal reading.

This lesson provides an introductory overview of adverse possession.

This lesson focuses upon the concept of "color of title" and the role that it plays in the resolution of adverse possession disputes. The lesson should assist students in understanding: the distinction between claims of possession with color of title and without color of title; the significance of color of title as a basis (in some states) for shortening the statutory period for adverse possession; and the significance of color of title as a prerequisite for a claim of title by constructive adverse possession.

This lesson focuses upon the requirements that claims of adverse possession must be exclusive, continuous (without interruption), and that the possessor must satisfy all elements of the adverse possession standard for the applicable statutory period.

This lesson focuses upon the requirement that an adverse possession claim must be based upon possession that is sufficiently "hostile" and "under claim of right." This lesson addresses the following topics: the rationale behind the "hostile/under claim of right" requirement and how it relates to the other elements of the common law adverse possession rule; the significance of "permission to occupy land" under adverse possession doctrine, and how to distinguish between permissive and hostile claims; and the legal standards by which differing courts have evaluated the hostility of a possessor’s claim, either by reference to the possessor’s actions (objectively), or state of mind (subjectively).

This lesson focuses on the "open and notorious" element of the common law adverse possession standard. This lesson and its accompanying questions should help students understand the following: the rationale behind the "open and notorious" requirement; how courts have applied the "open and notorious" requirement in a variety of different factual settings, including boundary line encroachments, subsurface rights, and "open lands" (large, unenclosed parcels of land not presently suitable for cultivation or development); and how the "open and notorious" requirement relates to the other elements of the common law adverse possession rule.

This lesson focuses upon a number of doctrines that are closely related to adverse possession of land. It includes a discussion of the following doctrines: agreed boundaries; mutual recognition and acquiescence; estoppel; good faith improvement; and the extent to which one can establish title to chattels by adverse possession (or by the operation of finding statutes).

This lesson concludes the set of lessons on adverse possession with a series of review questions (including true-false, multiple choice, and essay questions) to test overall student understanding of the various elements of the adverse possession standard, as explored in the earlier lessons. This lesson may prove most helpful to students when reviewing the doctrine of adverse possession as part of their exam preparation.

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.

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.

This lesson will introduce you to the process of researching federal agency decisions. You should expect to encounter: overview of agency regulatory powers; types of agency decisions; how to find them; how to update them; and their precedential value.

This lesson takes a look at one type of agreement that lacks consideration: gift promises.

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).

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 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.