Contract in Context provides an easy to read, in depth analysis of the purpose and role of contract law and the theories that surround it. It looks at the historical development of contract law as well as providing detailed analysis of some of the leading theoretical explanations and how they are applied on an international level. The book’s accessibility is enhanced by text boxes defining key concepts and terms and by bullet-point lists and descriptions further enlivened by biographical notes for leading figures and scholars. This ensures that students are able to gain a firm grasp and a clear understanding of the narratives and theories explained in the book. Contract in Context is unique in that it is not limited to one jurisdiction, making it ideal for students around the globe wishing to develop or expand their knowledge of contract law.

Contract Law in Context was previously published by CCH Australia.Contract Law in Context presents the law of contract in its commercial context. This new title discusses the principles of contract law by following the life cycle of a commercial contract from negotiation to formation, execution, application and interpretation, and then to termination and remedies. The commentary includes references to other important areas of law, such as competition and consumer law, agency law and corporate law. This ensures readers better understand the context within which commercial contracts operate in the real world.Key cases and core principles are explained in terms of their relevance to real life commercial examples, rather than as abstract rules to be remembered and applied. A number of checklists, practical tips, and summaries of key cases and important concepts are included to help students understand the importance and relevance of contract law to business transactions.

The second edition retains the style, format, and teaching and learning goals of the first edition, but some cases have been replaced or re-edited, and many of the textual materials, problems, exercises, and case questions have been revised, supplemented, or updated. This book is part of the Context and Practice Series, edited by Michael Hunter Schwartz, Professor of Law and Dean of the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific. PowerPoint slides are available to professors upon adoption of this book. Download sample slides from the full 457-slide presentation here. If you have adopted the book for a course, contact Beth at [email protected] to request the PowerPoint slides.

The foundations for modern contract law were laid between 1670 and 1870. Rather than advancing a purely chronological account, this examination of the development of contract law doctrine in England during that time explores key themes in order to better understand the drivers of legal change. These themes include the relationship between lawyers and merchants, the role of equity, the place of statute, and the part played by legal literature. Developments are considered in the context of the legal system of the time and through those who were involved in litigation as lawyers, judges, jurors or litigants. It concludes that the way in which contract law developed was complex. Legal change was often uneven and slow, and some of the apparent changes had deep roots in the past. Clashes between conservative and more reformist tendencies were not uncommon.

This book offers an accessible introduction to American contract law, useful to both first-year law students and advanced contract scholars.

Provides a fresh, topical and accessible account of the Australian law of contract.

Buy a new version of this textbook and receive access to the Connected eBook with Study Center on CasebookConnect, including: lifetime access to the online ebook with highlight, annotation, and search capabilities; practice questions from your favorite study aids; an outline tool and other helpful resources. Connected eBooks provide what you need most to be successful in your law school classes. Contracts in Context: From Transaction to Litigation, covers contract law from a transactional perspective, including: A contract's structure and terms, Contract formation legal requirements, andThe negotiation, drafting, and performance of contracts, as well as the litigation of contracts, including a review of a contract's interpretation, enforcement, and remedies. Contracts in Context: From Transaction to Litigation explores why parties enter into contracts, how written contracts are customarily structured, and how and why parties use contract design and terms to achieve their goals. The book is unique because it introduces students to customary contract provisions, and walks students through the lifecycle of a contract, including (i) pre-formation activities such as due diligence, preliminary negotiations, and contract drafting, (ii) contract formation, performance, and amendment, and (iii) dispute activities, such as interpretation, enforcement, defenses, and remedies. The book explores how parties "contract around" default requirements of the law, in addition to satisfying mandatory aspects of the law, through contracts. The book describes the role of both the transactional lawyer and litigator in working with contracts. It presents much of the material in expository fashion rather than only or primarily through cases. This allows students to learn the doctrine more easily. It also allows for more time on applying the law to new situations. The book challenges students to apply contract law through transactional and litigation practice and simulation problems, which are adaptable to the classroom and asynchronous setting. New to the Second Edition: Additional materials covering the professional identities of attorneys, in addition to their professional responsibilities. Revised practice problems for students to apply the contract law doctrine and private ordering principles they have learned. Expanded discussion of the role of contracts and contract law in widening and correcting power imbalances. Several new cases to enhance the learning experience. Professors and students will benefit from: Material presented on contract design and terms so that students understand how contracts are used in practice by businesspersons and how contract law supports this private ordering. Many examples of contract language to demonstrate why and how parties customize contracts to further their goals. Discussion of the role of the transactional lawyer in working with contracts so that students can begin to develop important transactional skills and wrestle with some of the professional dilemmas transactional lawyers frequently face. Explanations of contract law and other material presented through expository text to give students a more comprehensive and clearer view of what limits the law imposes on their private ordering through contracts and which requirements can be contracted around. A large set of problems, many of which involve tasks assigned to new transactional lawyers and litigators, to allow students to learn the material through active participation and critical thinking.

An oft-repeated assertion within contract law scholarship and cases is that a good contract law (or a good commercial contract law) will meet the needs and expectations of commercial contractors. Despite the prevalence of this statement, relatively little attention has been paid to why this should be the aim of contract law, how these 'commercial expectations' are identified and given substance, and what precise legal techniques might be adopted by courts to support the practices and expectations of business people. This book explores these neglected issues within contract law. It examines the idea of commercial expectation, identifying what expectations commercial contractors may have about the law and their business relationships (using empirical studies of contracting behaviour), and assesses the extent to which current contract law reflects these expectations. It considers whether supporting commercial expectations is a justifiable aim of the law according to three well-established theoretical approaches to contractual obligations: rights-based explanations, efficiency-based (or economic) explanations and the relational contract critique of the classical law. It explores the specific challenges presented to contract law by modern commercial relationships and the ways in which the general rules of contract law could be designed and applied in order to meet these challenges. Ultimately the book seeks to move contract law beyond a simple dichotomy between contextualist and formalist legal reasoning, to a more nuanced and responsive legal approach to the regulation of commercial agreements.

General clauses or standards (Generalklauseln, clauses generales) are legal rules which are not precisely formulated, terms and concepts which in fact do not even have a clear core. They are often applied in varying degrees in various legal systems to a rather wide range of contract cases when certain issues arise issues such as abuse of rights, unfairness, good faith, fairness of duty or loyalty or honesty, duty of care, and other such contract terms not lending themselves readily to clear or permanent definition. Here for the first time is a systematic discussion of this kind of rule in the evolving and dynamic context of European contract law. A collection of twelve insightful essays by leading European law authorities, the book is based on a conference organized jointly by the Society of European Contract Law (SECOLA) and l'association Henri Capitant, held in the `grande salle' of the French Supreme Court in Paris in 2005. The subject is approached along three distinct but interconnected avenues: comparative contract law, in which the different models to be found among Member States particularly the Germanic, French, and English common law systems are explored with an eye to differences and common ground;EC contract law, in which the general clause approach has tended to focus on labour law and consumer law, and in which the European Court of Justice more and more assumes the final say; andthe European codification dimension, in which a potential instrument on the European level would compete with national laws and develop closely with them. The authors demonstrate that a focus on general clauses in contract law, embracing as it does a wide range of types of contracts, helps enormously with the necessary integration of legal scholarship and economic approaches, and of legal science and legal practice in the field. Numerous analytic references to relevant cases and EC Directives give a practical impetus to the far-reaching but immediately applicable theory presented in this important book. As European contract law continues to develop rapidly, this seminal contribution is sure to increase in value and usefulness.