Remedies Outline
Note about this outline: This is a sample law school outline for a Remedies course at a top law school. Use this outline as a guide to learning Legal Remedies, or as a study aid for your law school exams.
I. A.
DAMAGES ............................................................................................................ - 4 MEASURE OF TORT DAMAGES .............................................................................. - 4 In General........................................................................................................ - 4 Conversion/Trespass to Chattel ...................................................................... - 4 Damage to Chattel (usually tort is negligence) ............................................... - 6 Injuries to Land ............................................................................................... - 6 Personal Injury ................................................................................................ - 8 Fraud ............................................................................................................... - 8 Other Torts ...................................................................................................... - 9 B. CONTRACT DAMAGES .......................................................................................... - 9 1. General ............................................................................................................ - 9 2. Buyer’s Damages .......................................................................................... - 10 3. Seller’s Damages .......................................................................................... - 12 4. Contractor’s Damages ................................................................................... - 13 5. Employer’s Damages .................................................................................... - 13 6. Employee’s Damages.................................................................................... - 13 C. LIMITATIONS ON DAMAGES (REDUCE AMOUNT OF DAMAGES) ........................... - 13 1. Certainty........................................................................................................ - 13 2. Purely economic harm from negligence ....................................................... - 14 3. Forseeability.................................................................................................. - 14 4. Avoidable consequences ............................................................................... - 14 5. Collateral Source Rule .................................................................................. - 16 6. Credit for Benefit .......................................................................................... - 16 7. Betterment ..................................................................................................... - 16 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
II. COERCIVE EQUITABLE RELIEF ................................................................ - 16 A. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. B. EXAM APPROACH .............................................................................................. - 16 Inadequate remedy at law?............................................................................ - 16 Equitable defenses? ....................................................................................... - 16 Balancing Hardships ..................................................................................... - 16 Balancing Equities ........................................................................................ - 16 Excessive Court Supervision ........................................................................ - 16 Public Interest ............................................................................................... - 16 EQUITY JDX ....................................................................................................... - 16 -
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1. Historically arose in response to flawed legal system. Religious leaders were chancellors. ........................................................................................................... - 16 2. Matter of propriety, not power to grant relief ............................................... - 16 3. Inadequacy Requirement (Synonymous with irreparable harm in most cases) ... 17 C. TRO & PRELIMINARY INJUNCTIONS (PROVISIONAL RELIEF) ............................. - 17 1. Generally ....................................................................................................... - 17 2. Tests: ............................................................................................................. - 18 D. EQUITABLE CLEAN-UP........................................................................................ - 20 1. Because of merger of legal and equitable courts, courts can grant “equitable damages” if equitable remedy sought fails (can’t order specific performance, for example, but that was all the plaintiff asked for.) ................................................. - 20 2. Limited now because of civil procedure rule that legal matters are decided before equitable matters. ....................................................................................... - 20 E. EQUITABLE DISCRETION (MEASURE OF INJUNCTIVE RELIEF) .............................. - 20 1. Unfair K – court doesn’t have to order equitable relief if K is unfair. ......... - 20 2. Extra Certainty of terms in K is required ...................................................... - 20 3. Mutuality of remedies – no longer required. ................................................ - 20 4. Equitable defenses ........................................................................................ - 20 5. Practical Enforceability..........................................