Study Guides? Or, How do I survive Contracts without ripping my book to pieces?

[lyrarain]

I hate my Contracts book! It leads me into blind alleys and then says, "Whoops, blind alley. Fooled you!" I despise this pedagogical method (it is in stark contrast to all my other textbooks) and  I strongly desire a resource that can help me understand the contorted logic behind the use of these cases.

Can someone recommend really good resources for understanding Contracts doctrines?

Can someone else using the Kraus and Scott book Contract Law and Theory, which, thank god for all of the rest of you, is rarely used, recommend keyed guides with case briefs that have helped? I am not optimistic here because it is not a common book and there may be no keyed study guides.

Thanks for help!

[jacy85]

My contracts class is using that book, and I actually like it.  I'm not quite seeing the blind alleys that you are...

For what you're asking for, you're probably most likely to find an adequate answer by tracking down a 2L or something that had your prof and used the book.  I haven't really looked all that much for stuff keyed to the book.  I can say that I looked through all the variations of canned briefs, and couldn't find anything either, so it's not that you're just not finding it.

Otherwise, if you're just not understanding what's going on at all, maybe the E&Es would help.  They seem to go over major topics, so that might clairfy some stuff.

[mynameismud]

that book sucks, it's the one we used last year for contracts.  one useful tip is to look at this way: the book does a general overview of contracts law and theory, then comes back to the specific topics like consideration, offer and acceptance.  i ended up returning my textbook to the bookstore for a full refund, bought the E&E, the emanuel's, and a set of law in a flash flashcards.  did ok on the test, middle of the pack, but that's due more to the fact that i hated the class in general and didn't study as much as i should have for it.  i recommend picking up those study guides (i have the emanuel's on sale on ebay right now), and reading the corresponding sections as you go over them in class.  supplement what you get from your outlines with class notes.  ALSO, i found an outline on the internet from a student who used that book, and i turned out to be a perfect outline for our class, almost exactly the same as the one i would have made.  ended up using that instead of making my own.  i am such a slacker.  don't remember the address for it though, but i found it by googling contracts outline

[Legal Eagle]

You want to understand contracts? Then you have to trust what I'm going to say.

Buy Aspen Publishing's "Contracts: Examples & Explanations" by Brian Blum. Find a commercial outline keyed to your contracts case book. Finally, check out Emanuel's Law-in-a-Flash cards for Contracts I.

Study them and don't waste time briefing contracts cases.

[jacy85]

Find a commercial outline keyed to your contracts case book.

There are none.  That was part of the OP's question.

[_retired_]

Dont even worry about it being keyed to your casebook.  The best outline I own is Casnote's Law Outline for Civ Pro from 1991.  The thing is great.  In fact, none of my outlines are keyed to my casebooks.  If you are using canned briefs, then yes it matters.  Otherwise it really doesnt seem to to me.

Incidentally, I have Emmanuel's on Contracts and I HATE it.  It's just sloppy.  I hear Gilbert's is really good for Contracts and I suspect, if its anything like my Civ Pro outline, Casenote may have a good old one you can find at a local used bookstore.

Good luck!

[Legal Eagle]

Find a commercial outline keyed to your contracts case book.

There are none.  That was part of the OP's question.

Whoops. Well, to be honest, any CO will do, I just figured the OP would feel better were it keyed to the casebook. I must have read too fast.

Get a CO, regardless.

[_retired_]

Not just any but something is better than nothing.  Some of them just plain suck, like the one I mentioned.  Perhaps somebody else out there is liking their Emmanuel's on Contracts but I wouldnt recommend it.  Emmanuel's on Torts, on the other hand, seems to be good.

[mudcat]

You want to understand contracts? Then you have to trust what I'm going to say.

"I'm going to be a 1L @ SMU this fall as well...the campus is beautiful (I did a self-tour last summer). I guess I'll meet you come this August. "

didnt you post the above... this summer? 
which means that you have never taken a law school exam before?

don't fool people into thinking you know what you are talking about when you don't. I want to take your advice,  but it seems to be based on what you think exams are going to be like.  Dont make it sound like you were first in your class.  Hope your "all outside sources" approach works...

[dft]

Not just any but something is better than nothing.  Some of them just plain suck, like the one I mentioned.  Perhaps somebody else out there is liking their Emmanuel's on Contracts but I wouldnt recommend it.  Emmanuel's on Torts, on the other hand, seems to be good.

Crunch Time is a hybrid of a CO and exam prep under the Emanuels name. Crunch Time on Contracts is supposed to be really good too. I have Gilberts on K's, but I took a look at Crunch Time on K's at my school's law bookstore and it looked great.

Most students use the Crunch Time series right before exams, hence the name. But, I think it's better to use them throughout the semester rather than for cramming.