 | University of Virginia March, 1907 |  |
FIRST YEAR COURSE.
1. Law of Persons; Personal Property; Wills and Administration.
Professor Lile.
The preliminary lectures in this class are devoted to the nature,
sources and evidences of the law; the absolute and relative rights of
persons, and their constitutional guaranties; citizenship and naturalization;
and subordinate magistrates. This is followed by a thorough drill
in the subjects of principal and agent; husband and wife, including their
common law property rights, with the modern statutory modifications;
parent and child; and guardian and ward. Later, the study of the law of
personal property (including the law of sales) is pursued in its various
phases, followed by that of wills of personalty and administration. Under
the latter classification are included the execution of wills; the qualification
of personal representatives and the settlement of their accounts; the
law of legacies and of distribution; and the complete administration of
estates.—September 16 to March 1—Three times a week.
Text-Books.—Long's Domestic Relations; Mechem's Principles of Agency;
Rood on Wills; R. M. Benjamin's Principles of Sales (2d ed.); The Professor's
Printed Notes.
2. The Law of Contracts.
Professor Graves.
In this class, coming appropriately at the beginning of the Junior
year, an effort is made to give a thorough, though elementary, course in
the fundamentals of contract law—the formation, operation, and discharge
of contracts—with a full discussion of the doctrine of consideration, the
requirements of the Statute of Frauds, and the consequences of the various
kinds of illegality, whether at common law or by statute. The important
subject of Quasi-Contract also receives adequate attention. The textbook
on Contracts (Clark, following the analysis of Anson) is accompanied
by a volume of Illustrative Cases, and is supplemented by the Professor's
Printed Notes, explaining obscurities in the text, and calling attention to
the recent cases in Virginia and elsewhere.—September 16 to December 21
—Three times a week.
Text-Books.—Clark on Contracts (2d ed.); Hopkins's Cases on Contracts;
The Professor's Printed Notes.
3. The Law of Crimes and Criminal Procedure.
Professor Minor.
In the study of this subject the student is made familiar with the
general principles enforced by the courts in the administration of criminal
justice. He is instructed as to the nature and elements of the more
important crimes, both common law and statutory. Attention is given
rather to the acquisition of a thorough knowledge of the leading principles
than to the less important details, which, with a knowledge of the former,
may readily be acquired. The course of instruction further embraces a
study of the forms of procedure, the nature, organization and duties of
the courts, and of grand and petit juries; arrests and bail; indictments,
presentments, informations, and the various defenses, by way of demurrer,
plea, or otherwise; together with the ordinary incidents of a criminal
trial, such as challenges of jurors, motions for a new trial, bills of exceptions,
motions in arrest of judgment, and writs of error.
The last lectures of this course are devoted to the practical work of
drawing indictments, pleas in abatement and other criminal pleading, and
the making of motions for new trial, in arrest of judgment, etc.—September
16 to January 20—Three times a week.
Text-Books.—Clark's Criminal Law; Beale's Criminal Pleading and Practice;
The Professor's Notes.
4. Mercantile Law.
Professor Lile.
Under this head are grouped the subjects of Negotiable Instruments,
Insurance, and Partnership. The instruction is made as practical as
in the course of the lectures. In the study of the law of negotiable paper,
constant reference is made to the Negotiable Instruments Law, recently
enacted in many States, including Virginia, and likely to be adopted
throughout the country. In addition to the study of the general principles
of the law of insurance, attention is devoted to particular clauses
most usual in life, marine, and accident policies, and the New York Standard
fire policy is studied, clause by clause, in the light of judicial construction.—March
1 to end of session—Three times a week.
Text-Books.—Bigelow on Bills, Notes, and Cheques (Student's Series—2d
ed.); Vance on Insurance; Mechem on Partnership; The Negotiable Instruments
Law; The Professor's Notes.
5. Torts, Bailments, and Carriers.
Professor Graves.
The Law of Torts (or Non-Contract Law) is first taken up, and is
studied in the order of Professor Bigelow's analysis, viz: (1) Breach of
Duty to Refrain from Fraud or Malice; (2) Breach of Absolute Duty;
and (3) Breach of Duty to Refrain from Negligence. In connection with
the text-book, a volume of cases is used, which serve to illustrate and
impress the abstract principles by concrete examples.
On the completion of Torts, the subject of bailments is entered upon,
and after an outline of the doctrines concerning the several kinds of
Bailees (including Innkeepers), the Law of Carriers (of goods and
passengers) is begun, and is considered with the fulness and thoroughness
due to this important topic. No case-book is used, as the text and notes
of Hutchinson on Carriers furnish abundant illustrations.—From January
3 to end of session—Three times a week.
Text-Books.—Bigelow on Torts (7th ed.); Chase's Cases on Torts (2d ed.);
Hutchinson on Carriers ((2d ed.); The Professor's Notes.
6. Theory of Government; Constitutional Law; International Law.
Professor Minor.
The first lectures of this course are devoted to the Theory and Practice
of Government. It is traced from its generally accepted origin—the
family—through its various stages to the modern forms, and effort is
made by reasoning and comparison to point out the benefits of good government,
the dangers of the bad.
This is followed by Constitutional Law, in the study of which close
attention is given to the judicial interpretation of the Federal Constitution,
and to the great constitutional principles prevailing throughout the
Union. As occasion demands, attention is called to the policy of various
exceed the limits of safe and constitutional restrictions. The checks and
balances of the constitution are pointed out, and by comparing it with
other constitutions, notably that of England, its weak as well as strong
points are developed. Especial attention is given to such important subjects
as ex post facto laws, laws impairing the obligation of contracts,
due process of law, trial by jury, the power of taxation and of eminent
domain, the police power, interstate commerce, etc.
In the lectures upon Public International Law are considered the
various rules which regulate the intercourse of one nation with another
—such as the principles governing the origin, recognition, and equality
of States; their rights in time of peace, and the means whereby they
peaceably procure the enjoyment of those rights; the laws of war, and
the rights and duties of belligerents, and the rules regulating the relations
of neutral and belligerent States.—January 20 to May 8—Three
times a week.
Text-Books.—Cooley's Principles of Constitutional Law (3d ed.); Davis's
International Law (2d ed.); The Professor's Notes.
| University of Virginia March, 1907 | |