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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
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 15 to
March 1—Three times a week.
Text-Books.—1 Minor's Institutes (4th edition).
Benjamin's Principles of Sales.
The Professor's Printed Notes.
(Others to be announced.)
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 text-book 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 15 to December 23—Three times a
week.
Text-Books.—Clark on Contracts.
Clark'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
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 grand and petit
juries; arrests and bail; indictments, informations, presentments, and
the various defenses, by way of 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.—September 15 to December 5—Twice a week.
Text-Book.—Synopsis of Criminal Law: Minor.
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
possible, by frequent use of the various mercantile instruments, as
exhibits, 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 several States, including Virginia, and
likely to be adopted generally, 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 May 20—Three
times a week.
Text-Books.—Bigelow on Bills and Notes (Student's Series).
Richards on Insurance.
Mechem on Partnership.
The Negotiable Instruments Law.
The Professor's Notes.
5. Torts, Bailments, and Carriers.
Professor Graves.
By a recent change, these subjects have been separated from the
Law of Contracts, and now constitute a distinct class, the instruction
in which continues, with recitations three times a week, from the
beginning of January until the end of the session.
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 of 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's excellent work on Carriers furnish
abundant illustrations.—From January 2 to June 2—Three times a week.
Text-Books.—Bigelow on Torts (6th ed.).
Chase's Cases on Torts.
Hutchinson on Carriers (2d ed.).
The Professor's Printed Notes.
6. Theory of Government; Constitutional Law; International Law.
Professor Minor.
The first lectures of this course will be 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 acts of legislation, and the student is warned against
such as tend to 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, power of taxation and of eminent domain, the police power,
inter-state 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
laws of war, and the rights and duties of belligerents, and the rules
regulating the relations of neutral and belligerent states.—December 5
to April 25—Twice a week.
Text-Books.—Principles of Constitutional Law: Cooley.
International Law: Davis.
The Professor's Notes.
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