Contracts
by Lydia Wartenkin, 1L
CALI: Computer Assisted Learning Instruction
https://www.cali.org/
(Requires access code)
CALI is good for all subjects. The lessons are organized in alphabetical order and vary in format. Before you begin, all the lessons will tell you the expected time it will take to complete the exercises. Most of the lessons score you as you go, so you can see which questions you are getting right and wrong.
Contracts: Examples and Explanations (7th ed.)
Brian A. Blum
KF801 .B58 2017
Examples & Explanations Series
We all know the E&E books are the best, and that there will be a mad rush for them come finals time. Full of hypos and practice questions, this book is basically on point to what I have learned in contracts so far. These are fun to go through with a friend, reading questions to each other and then creating an answer as a group. There are a plethora of questions for each topic, and the answers are well-written and easy to understand. It might be good to get this book once you have finished outlining, to see how many of the questions you are able to answer and then adjust your outline accordingly.
Principles of Contract Law (4th ed.)
Robert A. Hillman
KF801 .H525 2018 (and online)
Concise Hornbooks Series
The Concise Hornbook isn't an outline, but I like that it provides a hypo and then very clearly states what the issue is, before diving into the answer. This way you can see if you are doing a good job of issue spotting, and a good job issue spotting leads to a good grade on the exam! The book often cites to the UCC and Restatement, which is useful if you will be expected to cite on the final. As well as citations, the author describes what the UCC and Restatement actually mean, which is helpful for those of us who are (more than) a bit confused by the language used in the documents themselves.
Mastering Contract Law (2nd ed.)
Irma S. Russell, and Barbara K. Bucholtz
KF801 .R87 2011
Mastering Series
The Mastering series is structured basically like a textbook, not formatted as an outline. It asks practice questions at the end of some sections and is good for those who are working to grasp the basic concepts on contract law. There's a list of checkpoints at the end of each chapter summarizing the main points and issues likely to come up on an exam, which could prove useful when outlining (and when answering a practice question to make sure you have not skipped anything in your analysis).
Contracts (5th ed.)
Joseph D. Calamari, and Joseph M. Perillo
KF801 .Z9 C27 2010 (and online)
Black Letter Outlines
The Blackletter is structured more like an outline and includes true/false, multiple choice, and short answer Q&As. I like the true/false because tell if you are getting the very basic concepts. Under many of the major topics there are "Discussion," "Comment," "Rationale," and "Example" subheadings. Sometimes, there's an "Exception" subheading, and these are useful to bring attention to the important takeaways for each section.
Acing Contracts: A Checklist Approach to Contracts Law
Suzanne Darrow-Kleinhaus
KF801 .Z9 D2 2010 (and online)
Acing Law School Series
The Acing books clearly lay out the most basic concepts. At the end of each chapter there is a checklist you can use to analyze an exam question. The checklist is good if you are struggling to hit all points of an analysis, and are having trouble organizing responses to the longer essay exam questions. For example, at the end of the first chapter on offer and acceptance, the checklist goes through all the necessary elements of an offer to determine whether an offer has been extended, then goes through the various ways to accept an offer. The checklists could be very helpful for outlining!
Contracts Audio CDs (3rd ed.)
David Epstein
KF801 .Z9 E34 2012 AUDIO
Law School Legends Series
Personally, I would rather read than listen so I didn't give the CDs much of a shot, but they certainly won't hurt. Professor Epstein emphasizes the three sources of contract law, the twenty most important vocabulary terms, and the seven themes/types of questions that are "guaranteed" to show up on a contract exam. Example of such a theme: "Has an agreement actually been formed?"
Contracts (6th ed.)
Steven L. Emanuel
KF801 .Z9 E563 2017
CrunchTime Series
Like all of the CrunchTime guides, this one is set up like an outline, making for easy reading and a less intimidating look. The flowcharts can get a bit crazy (lots and lots of arrows) but are worth glancing over, especially the parol evidence rule chart. The best part of the book is the last third, where you will find short answer, multiple choice, and essay questions with very in-depth answers provided—great for exam prep. The "exam tips" section highlights issues that are likely to come up on an exam and common exceptions to rules that professors may be tempted to test on. Highly recommend this book.
Understanding Contracts (4th ed.)
Jeff Ferriell
KF801 .Z9 F46 2018
Understanding Series
If you learn best by reading examples and applying those examples to the doctrine, this book is for you. This book cites religiously to the UCC and Restatement (Second) of Contracts, which is helpful for checking your outline for accuracy. Chapters on promissory estoppel and statute of frauds were particularly helpful. Also a good overview of the UCC, how it originated, and what it does and does not cover.
Inside Contract Law: What Matters and Why (5th ed.)
Michael B. Kelly
KF801 .Z9 K455 2011
Inside Series
The "sidebars" and "FAQs" are the most useful parts of this book. The FAQs address common and practical questions. Though not the types of questions that would appear on an exam, the FAQs and sidebars apply contract law to real life and explain the history of the rules why certain standards still exist. This book is helpful if you want to place contract law in the grand scheme of things and understand why contracts operate the way they do.
Contracts (14th ed.)
Melvin A. Eisenberg
KF801 .Z9 R83 2002 (and online)
Gilbert Law Summaries
I am a big fan of all Gilbert study guides. My contracts class is very focused on the difference between the UCC and the Restatement and our professor expects us to be able to cite to both. This book clearly outlines which is applicable, when, and why. There are lots of easy to read charts, I prefer the flow charts here to the flow charts in “Crunch Time,” as they are more straightforward. If you're struggling with consideration, this book, through many charts, clearly outlines what constitutes consideration and what does not, giving many examples.
The Glannon Guide to Contracts: Learning Contracts through Multiple-Choice Questions and Analysis (2nd ed.)
Theodore Silver, and Stephen Hochberg
KF801 .Z9 S49 2015
Glannon Guides
At the end of each section, this book uses multiple-choice questions to test the reader's understanding of the material previously covered. Immediately following the question is an in-depth analysis that goes through each of the answers and explains which is the right choice and why. If you’re trying to determine what areas you need to study the most, the multiple-choice questions in this book could be a useful tool to see where you are struggling. If working through short problems is how you like to study, this book is for you.