A Law Student’s Toolkit by Yale University – Coursera

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A Law Student’s Toolkit by Yale University – Coursera

Upcoming session: December 7 – January 4
Enrollment ends December 12
Following session begins January 4

About This Course:

Whether you are an advanced law student looking to review the basics, or an aspiring law student looking for head start, this course will help you build the foundation you will need to succeed in law school and beyond. This course will introduce you to terminology, concepts, and tools lawyers and legal academics use to make their arguments. It will help you follow these arguments—and make arguments of your own. This course consists of a series of short lectures and assignments. A reading list complements each lesson, providing you with a roadmap to help you explore the subject matter more deeply on your own. Although the lessons may cross-reference each other, they are modular in nature: you should feel free to approach them in whatever order fits your schedule, interests, and needs.

Subtitles available in English,
3 weeks of study, 5-7 hours/week

Instructors: Ian Ayres
William K. Townsend Professor
Yale Law School

Syllabus:

Week 1

Introduction

Categories and Distinctions

  1. Introduction
  2. 2.1 – Ex Ante vs. Ex Post
  3. 2.2 – Normative vs. Positive
  4. 2.3 – The Two-by-Two Box
  5. 2.4 – Default vs. Mandatory Rules
  6. 2.5 – Rules vs. Standards
  7. 2.6 – Paternalism vs. Externalities: Limiting Contractual Freedom
  8. 2.7 – Property Rules vs. Liability Rules
  9. 2.8 – Hohfeld’s Theory of Right vs. Privileges
  10. 2.9 – Exit and Voice
  11. 2.10 – Substance vs. Procedure
  12. 2.11 – Acoustic Separation
  • Assignment: Normative vs. Positive
  • Quiz: Applying the Box
  • Assignment: Paternalism vs. Externalities
  • Assignment: Substance vs. Procedure
Week 2

Law and Legal Structures

  1. 3.1 – The Coase Theorem
  2. 3.2 – Least Cost Avoider
  3. 3.3 – Marginalism
  4. 3.4 – Wars & Panics
  5. 3.5 – Uncertainty vs. Risk
  6. 3.6 – Rawlsian Veil of Ignorance
  7. 3.7 – Behavioral Biases
  8. 3.8 – Search, Experience and Credence Goods
  9. 3.9 – Information Rules
  10. 3.10 – Famous Paradoxes and Dilemmas
  11. 4.1 – Standards of Review
  12. 4.2 – Burdens of Proof
  13. 4.3 – Enforcing Monetary Judgments
  14. 4.4 – Ad Hominem and Slippery Slope Arguments
  • Assignment: Rawlsian Veil of Ignorance
  • Assignment: Enforcing Money Judgments and Security Interests
Week 3

Evidentiary Tools

Preparation Tools

Postscript

  1. 5.1 – Objection! Non-Responsive
  2. 5.2 – Objection! Assumes Facts Not in Evidence
  3. 6.1 – Tools to Read a Statute
  4. 6.2 – Tools to Brief a Case
  5. 6.3 – Tools to Excel in Class
  6. 6.4 – Tools to Excel on Law School Exams
  7. Postscript
  • Quiz: Statutory Interpretation
  • Assignment: Tools to Read a Statute

 

How to Pass the Course:

Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.

To enroll, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/law-student

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