Contract Law For Dummies (eBook)

Scott J. Burnham is the Curley Professor of Commercial Law at Gonzaga University School of Law. For 30 years he has taught Contracts at law schools internationally and throughout the U.S. He is also a prolific writer on legal topics and a consultant on contract drafting for numerous businesses.

Introduction 1

Part I: Introducing Contract Law and Contract Formation 7

Chapter 1: Getting the Lowdown on Contract Law 9

Chapter 2: Let's Make a Deal: Offer and Acceptance 23

Chapter 3: Sealing the Deal: The Doctrine of Consideration 45

Chapter 4: Noting Exceptions: Promises Enforceable without a Contract 63

Part II: Determining Whether a Contract Is Void, Voidable, or Unenforceable 77

Chapter 5: Introducing Contract Defenses 79

Chapter 6: Considering Whether an Agreement Is Unenforceable Due to Illegality or Unfairness 89

Chapter 7: Evaluating the Parties' Ability to Make the Contract 105

Chapter 8: Assessing the Enforceability of Oral Agreements 119

Part III: Analyzing Contract Terms and Their Meaning 135

Chapter 9: Evaluating Unwritten Terms with the Parol Evidence Rule 137

Chapter 10: Finding Unwritten Terms That Complete the Contract 151

Chapter 11: Interpreting Contracts 169

Part IV: Performing the Contract or Breaching It 183

Chapter 12: Evaluating Whether Contract Modifications Are Enforceable 185

Chapter 13: Deciding Whether Unforeseen Events Excuse Performance 201

Chapter 14: Checking for Conditional Language 213

Chapter 15: Breaching the Contract by Anticipatory Repudiation 235

Part V: Exploring Remedies for Breach of Contract 247

Chapter 16: Examining How Courts Handle Breach of Contract 249

Chapter 17: Exploring Remedies in Article 2 of the UCC 267

Chapter 18: Checking for Additional Remedies 285

Part VI: Bringing Third Parties into the Picture 303

Chapter 19: Deciding Whether a Third Party Can Enforce or Interfere with a Contract 305

Chapter 20: Acknowledging the Rights and Duties of Third Parties 315

Part VII: The Part of Tens 325

Chapter 21: Ten Questions to Ask When Analyzing a Contracts Problem 327

Chapter 22: Ten Notable People (And Philosophies) in Contract Law 337

Appendix: Glossary 341

Index 345