ContractsProf Blog

Now in Print

J. Edward Allen, Comment, Insurance Carriers v. Construction Industry: A Texas-sized Showdown to Come? A Closer Look at the Implications of Lamar Homes, 50 S. Tex. L. Rev. 505 (2009).

Oren Bar-Gill & Omri Ben-Shahar, An Information Theory of Willful Breach, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1479 (2009).

Omri Ben-Shahar & Ariel Porat, Fault in American Contract Law, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1341 (2009).

Phillip M. Brick, Jr., Casenote, Agree to Disagree: The Inequity of Arkansas's Tacit-Agreement Test as Seen in Deck House, Inc. v. Link, 62 Ark. L. Rev. 361 (2009).

George M. Cohen, The Fault That Lies Within Our Contract Law, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1445 (2009).

Teresa Stanton Collett, Whose Life is it Anyway?: Texas Public Policy and Contracts to Kill Embryonic Children, 50 S. Tex. L. Rev. 371 (2009).

Richard Craswell,When Is a Willful Breach “Willful”? The Link Between Definitions and Damages, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1501 (2009).

Melvin Aron Eisenberg, The Role of Fault in Contract Law: Unconscionability, Unexpected Circumstances, Interpretation, Mistake, and Nonperformance, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1413 (2009).

Richard A. Epstein, The Many Faces of Fault in Contract Law: Or How to Do Economics Right, Without Really Trying, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1461 (2009).

Stefan Grundmann, The Fault Principle as the Chameleon of Contract Law: A Market Function Approach, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1583 (2009).

Adam Kramer, The New Test of Remoteness in Contract, 125 L.Q. Rev. 408 (2009).

Roy Kreitner, Fault at the Contract-Tort Interface, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1533 (2009).

Saul Levmore, Stipulated Damages, Super-Strict Liability, and Mitigation in Contract Law, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1365 (2009).

Louise Merrett, Costs as Damages, 125 L.Q. Rev. 468 (2009).

Geoffrey P. Miller & Theodore Eisenberg, The Market for Contracts, 30 Cardozo L. Rev. 2071 (2009).

Ariel Porat, A Comparative Fault Defense in Contract Law, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1397 (2009).

Eric A. Posner, Fault in Contract Law, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1431 (2009).

Richard A. Posner, Let Us Never Blame a Contract Breaker, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1349 (2009).

Ingeborg Schwenzer, Force Majeure and Hardship in International Sales Contracts, 39 Victoria U. Wellington L. Rev. 709 (2009).

Robert E. Scott, In (Partial) Defense of Strict Liability in Contract, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1381 (2009).

Steven Shavell, Why Breach of Contract May Not Be Immoral Given the Incompleteness of Contracts, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1569 (2009).

Seana Shiffrin, Could Breach of Contract Be Immoral?, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1551 (2009).

Ian Shrank & Samuel Yin, Liquidated Damages in Commercial Leases of Personalty -- The Proper Analysis, 64 Bus. Law. 757 (2009).

Steve Thel & Peter Siegelman, Willfulness Versus Expectation: A Promisor-Based Defense of Willful Breach Doctrine, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 1517 (2009).

N.B.: The numerous Michigan Law Review articles emanated from the Fault in Contract Law symposium, which the University of Chicago Law School hosted, and its John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics and the Michigan Law Review co-sponsored, last fall.  Copies of all of the symposium articles are available, in .pdf format, at http://www.michiganlawreview.org/index-mlr.htm.

[Keith A. Rowley]

Now in Print

Rachel S. Arnow-Richman, Employment as Transaction, 39 Seton Hall L. Rev. 447(2009).

Allen Blair, A Matter of Trust: Should No-Reliance Clauses Bar Claims for Fraudulent Inducement of Contract?, 92 Marq. L. Rev. 423 (2009).

Ian Brereton, Note, The Beginning of a New Age?: The Unconscionability of the "360-degree" Deal, 27 Cardozo Arts & Ent. L.J. 167 (2009).

Curtis Bridgeman & Karen Sandrik, Bullshit Promises, 76 Tenn. L. Rev. 379 (2009).

David Cabrelli, The Effect of Past and Subsisting Breaches on Contractual Rights, 13 Edinburgh L. Rev. 290 (2009).

Jillian R. Camarote, Comment, A Little More Contract Law with my Contract Please: The Need to Apply Unconscionability Directly to Choice-of-Law Clauses, 39 Seton Hall L. Rev. 605 (2009).

J.W. Carter, Exclusion of Liability for Consequential Loss, 25 J. Contract L. 118 (2009).

David Cheng, Interpretation of Material Adverse Change Clauses in an Adverse Economy, 2009 Colum. Bus. L. Rev. 564.

Michael Furmston, Letters of Intent and Other Preliminary Agreements, 25 J. Contract L. 95 (2009).

Lauren Gaffney, Note, The Circle of Assent: How "Agreement" Can Save Mandatory Arbitration in Long-Term Care Contracts, 62 Vand. L. Rev. 1017 (2009).

Justin Gleeson & Nicholas Owens, Dissolving Fictions: What to Do with the Implied Indemnity?, 25 J. Contract L. 135 (2009).

Claire A. Hill, Bargaining in the Shadow of a Lawsuit: A Social Norms Theory of Incomplete Contracts, 34 Del. J. Corp. L. 191 (2009).

Martin Hogg, The Continuing Confused Saga of Contract and Error, 13 Edinburgh L. Rev. 286 (2009).

David Horton, Unconscionability in the Law of Trusts, 84 Notre Dame L. Rev. 1675 (2009).

Christina L. Kunz, The Definitional Hub of E-Commerce: "Record," 45 Idaho L. Rev. 399 (2009).

Christine Liyanto, Note, The Discrete, the Relational, the Selfish, and the Societal: Elements Present in All Transactions, 4 Hastings Bus. L.J. 315 (2008).

Charles E. Rounds, Jr., The Common Law is Not Just About Contracts: How Legal Education has been Short-Changing Feminism, 43 U. Rich. L. Rev. 1185 (2009).

B. Soyer, Warranties in Commercial Insurance Contracts -- Is the Time Ripe for a Reconsideration of Their Contractual Status?, 25 J. Contract L. 168 (2009).

Benjamin Taibleson, Note, Forgiving Breach: Understanding the Preference for Damages Over Specific Performance, 27 QLR 541 (2009).

David F. Tavella, Are Insurance Policies Still Contracts?, 42 Creighton L. Rev. 157 (2009).

Bret Walker, The Fourth Category of Masters v. Cameron, 25 J. Contract L. 108 (2009).

Jovita T. Wang, Article 14 of China's New Labor Contract Law: Using Open-Term Contracts to Appropriately Balance Worker Protection and Employer Flexibility, 18 Pac. Rim L. & Pol'y J. 431 (2009).

Emma Wilson, Comment, Douglas v. Talk America: Making the Case for Proper Notice, 45 Idaho L. Rev. 479 (2009).

Jeremy L. Zell, Discerning the Validity of Arbitration Agreements Containing Heightened Judicial Review Clauses After Hall Street Associates, L.L.C. v. Mattel, Inc., 40 Loy. U. Chi. L.J. 959 (2009).

[Keith A. Rowley]

Now in Print

M. Neil Browne & Jennifer Coon, The Impact of Market Ideology on Transnational Contract Law, 30 Loy. L.A. Int’l & Comp. L. Rev. 91 (2008).

Kenneth M. Casebeer, Of Service Workers, Contracting Out, Joint Employment, Legal Consciousness, and the University of Miami, 56 Buff. L. Rev. 1059 (2008).

David R. Collins, Note, Shrinkwrap, Clickwrap, and Other Software Agreements: Litigating a Digital Pig in a Poke in West Virginia, 111 W. Va. L. Rev. 531 (2009).

Kate Galloway, Statutory Modification of Contract Law in Queensland: A New Equilibrium or Entrenching the Old Power Order?, 15 James Cook U.L. Rev. 67 (2008).

Ronald J. Gilson, Charles F. Sabel & Robert E. Scott, Contracting for Innovation: Vertical Disintegration and Interfirm Collaboration, 109 Colum. L. Rev. 431 (2009).

Andrew S. Gold, A Property Theory of Contract, 103 Nw. U. L. Rev. 1 (2009).

Haitham A. Haloush, Prescription in Arab Civil Codes and the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts of 2004: A Comparative Analysis, 15 James Cook U.L. Rev. 97 (2008).

George E. Henderson, A New [Article] 2 for Texas: Well-Suited or Ill-Fitting, 41 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 235 (2009).

David Horton, Flipping the Script: Contra Proferentem and Standard Form Contracts, 80 U. Colo. L. Rev. 431 (2009).

Chunlin Leonhard, Beyond the Four Corners of a Written Contract: A Global Challenge to U.S. Contract Law, 21 Pace Int'l L. Rev. 1 (2009).

Jayce R. Lesniewski, Casenote, Contracts: The War Against Words: When Contract Interpretation Impedes Judicial Goals (Lee v.Fresenius Med. Care, Inc., 741 N.W.2d 117 (Minn. 2007)), 35 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev. 627 (2009).

John D. McCamus, Mechanisms for Restricting Recovery for Emotional Distress in Contract, 42 Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 51 (2008).

Asa Markel, American, English, and Japanese Warranty Law Compared: Should the U.S. Reconsider Her Article 95 Declaration to the CISG?, 21 Pace Int'l L. Rev. 163 (2009).

Kabir Masson, Note, Paradox of Presumptions: Seller Warranties and Reliance Waivers in Commercial Contracts,109 Colum. L. Rev. 503 (2009).

Tatiana Melnik, Note, Can We Dicker Online or is Traditional Contract Formation Really Dying?: Rethinking Traditional Contract Formation for the World Wide Web, 15 Mich. Telecomm. & Tech. L. Rev. 315 (2008).

Gerald M. Moody, Jr., Writing is Reading is Writing: Two Applications of the Parol Evidence Rule to Collective Bargaining Agreements, 2009 Colum. Bus. L. Rev. 326.

Val D. Ricks, The Possibility of Plain Meaning: Wittgenstein and the Contract Precedents, 56 Clev. St. L. Rev. 767 (2008).

Caprice L. Roberts, Restitutionary Disgorgement for Opportunistic Breach of Contract and Mitigation of Damages, 42 Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 131 (2008).

Luigi Russi, Chronicles of a Failure: From a Renegotiation Clause to Arbitration of Transnational Contracts, 24 Conn. J. Int'l L. 77 (2008).

Sarah E. Smith, The United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communication in International Contracts (CUECIC): Why It Should be Adopted and How It Will Affect International E-Contracting, 11 SMU Sci. & Tech. L. Rev. 133 (2007).

Andrew Tettenborn, Consequential Damages in Contract--The Poor Relation?, 42 Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 177 (2008).

Alan M. White, Behavior and Contract, 27 L. & Ineq. 135 (2009).

[Keith A. Rowley]

Now in Print

Paula D. Baron, Confused in Words: Unconscionability and the Doctrine of Penalties, 34 Monash U.L. Rev. 285 (2008).

Omri Ben-Shahar, A Bargaining Power Theory of Default Rules, 109 Colum. L. Rev. 396 (2009).

Curtis Bridgeman, Contracts as Plans, 2009 U. Ill. L. Rev. 341.

Joshua A.T. Fairfield, Anti-social Contracts: The Contractual Governance of Virtual Worlds, 53 McGill L.J. 427 (2008).

Joshua Getzler, Quantum Meruit, Estoppel, and the Primacy of Contract, 125 L.Q. Rev. 196 (2009).

Matthew C. Jennejohn, Collaboration, Innovation, and Contract Design, 14 Stan. J.L. Bus. & Fin. 83 (2008).

David McLauchlan, Contract Interpretation: What Is It About?, 31 Sydney L. Rev. 5 (2009).

Colleen P. Murphy, What Is Specific About "Specific Restitution"?, 60 Hastings L.J. 853 (2009).

M.H. Ogilvie, Mental Distress and Punitive Damages for Breach of Contract in the Supreme Court of Canada: Here's the Remedy, but Where's the Right?, [2009] J. Bus. L. 248.

Carl N. Pickerill, Executory Contracts Re-Revisited, 83 Am. Bankr. L.J. 63 (2009).

Ingeborg Schwenzer & Pascal Hachem, The CISG--Successes and Pitfalls, 57 Am. J. Comp. L. 457 (2009).

D. Gordon Smith & Brayden G. King, Contracts as Organizations, 51 Ariz. L. Rev. 1 (2009).

Robert P. Bartlett, III, Commentary, 51 Ariz. L. Rev. 47 (2009).

Anna Gelpern, Commentary, 51 Ariz. L. Rev. 57 (2009).

Richard S. Wirtz, Cost of Performance or Difference in Value?, 59 Case W. L. Rev. 61 (2008).

[Keith A. Rowley]

Weekly Top Ten

Most of the top papers stay the same this week, with only one new paper cracking our Top 10.  Following are the ten most-downloaded new papers from the SSRN Journal of Contract and Commercial Law for the 60 days ending April 19, 2009.

1 (1) Rethinking Free Speech and Civil Liability, Daniel J. Solove (Geo. Washington) & Neil M. Richards (Washington U.).

2 (2) The Sale of the Century and its Impact on Asset Securitization: Lehman Brothers, Stephen J. Lubben (Seton Hall) & Chip Bowles (Greenebaum Doll & McDonald).

3 (3) Contracts and Friendships, Ethan J. Leib (UC-Hastings).

4 (4) True Sale of Receivables: A Purposive Analysis, Kenneth C. Kettering (New York LS).

5 (5) Tempering ‘Buy American’ in the Recovery Act -- Steering Clear of a Trade War, Steven L. Schooner & Christopher R. Yukins (Geo. Washington).

6 (-) Can Contracts Solve the Hold-Up Problem? Experimental Evidence, Eva I. Hoppe & Patrick W. Schmitz (Cologne).

7 (8) Leverage in the Board Room: The Unsung Influence of Private Lenders in Corporate Governance, Frederick Tung (Emory).

8 (6) A License to Deceive: Enforcing Contractual Myths Despite Consumer Psychological Realities, Debra Pogrund Stark (John Marshall) & Jessica M. Choplin (DePaul).

9 (9) Intent to Contract, Gregory Klass (Georgetown).

10 (7) Limitation of Sales Warranties as an Alternative to Intellectual Property Rights: An Empirical Analysis of iPhone Warranties' Deterrent Impact on Consumers, Marc Lane Roark (Missouri)

[Frank Snyder]

Weekly Top Ten

For the third week in a row, Daniel Solove's and Neil Richards's paper exploring what the first amendment has to say about contract and tort law (where civil liability frequently attaches to purely verbal expressions) keeps the number one position on this week's Top Ten.  New on the charts is Fred Tung's exploration of contractual restraints imposed by lenders on corporate governance issues.  Following are the top ten most-downloaded new papers from the SSRN Journal of Contract and Commercial Law for the 60 days ending April 12, 2009.  (Last week's rank in parentheses.)

1 (1) Rethinking Free Speech and Civil Liability, Daniel J. Solove (Geo. Washington) & Neil M. Richards (Washington U.).

2 (5) The Sale of the Century and its Impact on Asset Securitization: Lehman Brothers, Stephen J. Lubben (Seton Hall) & Chip Bowles (Greenebaum Doll & McDonald).

3 (3) Contracts and Friendships, Ethan J. Leib (UC-Hastings).

4 (4) True Sale of Receivables: A Purposive Analysis, Kenneth C. Kettering (New York LS).

5 (8) Tempering ‘Buy American’ in the Recovery Act -- Steering Clear of a Trade War, Steven L. Schooner & Christopher R. Yukins (Geo. Washington).

6 (7) A License to Deceive: Enforcing Contractual Myths Despite Consumer Psychological Realities, Debra Pogrund Stark (John Marshall) & Jessica M. Choplin (DePaul).

7 (6) Limitation of Sales Warranties as an Alternative to Intellectual Property Rights: An Empirical Analysis of iPhone Warranties' Deterrent Impact on Consumers, Marc Lane Roark (Missouri)

8 (-) Leverage in the Board Room: The Unsung Influence of Private Lenders in Corporate Governance, Frederick Tung (Emory).

9 (9) Intent to Contract, Gregory Klass (Georgetown).

10 (10) Rational Ignorance, Rational Closed-Mindedness, and Modern Economic Formalism in Contract Law, Shawn J. Bayern (Duke).

[Frank Snyder]

New Issue of Constitutional Commentary

The ContractsProf Blog is pleased to provide this news exclusive.  Using our powerful connections and are heightened sleuthing powers, we have discovered that Constitutional Commentary has a special issue coming out today on dissenting opinions in Contracts Clause cases.  More exciting still, the journal will be changing its name for the special issue, and if the focus on dissents excites reader interest, the change will be come permanent.  

The new name for the journal will be Constitutional Dissentary.  In keeping with the new theme, the journal is considering moving its headquarters from the University of Minnesota to either Crapo, Maryland or Flushing, Queens.

______________   

CONSTITUTIONAL

DISSENTARY

_______________

Weekly Top 10

After a long hiatus, we’re back with the Weekly Top 10. It's a little heavy on commercial law this week, but there are some very nice contracts pieces that have hit the web in the last couple of months.  Following are the top ten most-downloaded new papers from the SSRN Journal of Contract and Commercial Law for the 60 days ending March 30, 2009).

1 Rethinking Free Speech and Civil Liability, Daniel J. Solove (Geo. Washington) & Neil M. Richards (Washington U.).

2 Bankruptcy Reform and the Financial Crisis, Melissa B. Jacoby (No. Carolina).

3 Limitation of Sales Warranties as an Alternative to Intellectual Property Rights: An Empirical Analysis of iPhone Warranties' Deterrent Impact on Consumers, Marc Lane Roark (Missouri)

4 A License to Deceive: Enforcing Contractual Myths Despite Consumer Psychological Realities, Debra Pogrund Stark (John Marshall) & Jessica M. Choplin (DePaul).

5 True Sale of Receivables: A Purposive Analysis, Kenneth C. Kettering (New York LS).

6 Intent to Contract, Gregory Klass (Georgetown).

7 Rational Ignorance, Rational Closed-Mindedness, and Modern Economic Formalism in Contract Law, Shawn J. Bayern (Duke)

8 Analytical Jurisprudence and the Concept of Commercial Law, John Linarelli (La Verne).

9 The Sale of the Century and its Impact on Asset Securitization: Lehman Brothers, Stephen J. Lubben (Seton Hall) & Chip Bowles (Greenebaum Doll & McDonald).

10 Public Procurement: Focus on People, Value for Money and Systemic Integrity, Not Protectionism, Steven L. Schooner & Christopher R. Yukins (Geo. Washington).

[Frank Snyder]

Now in Print

Paula D. Baron, The Doctrine of Penalties and the Test of Commercial Justification, 34 U.W. Austl. L. Rev. 42 (2008).

Ashleigh L. Boggs, Note, Interpretation of Oil and Gas Lease Habendum Clauses in Texas and Why Oklahoma Should Maintain its Divergent Approach to Keep Leases Alive (Anadarko Petroleum Co. v. Thompson, 94 S.W.3d 550 (Okla. 2002)), 61 Okla. L. Rev. 341 (2008).

J.W. Carter, Commercial Construction and Contract Doctrine, 25 J. Contract L. 83 (2009).

Adri du Plessis, Pre-contractual Misrepresentation, Contractual Terms, and the Measure of Damages When the Contract is Upheld, 125 S. African L.J. 413 (2008).

Howard Hunter, Good Faith and the Construction of Terms in Commercial Contracts: The American Perspective, 25 J. Contract L. 39 (2009).

Glenda Labadie-Jackson, The Reproductive Rights of Latinas and Commercial Surrogacy Contracts (English Translation), 14 Tex. Hispanic J.L. & Pol'y 49 (2008).

Eric Michael Liddick, Give Me Freedom of Contract or Give Me Death: The Obscurity of Article 44(A) of the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, 54 Loy. L. Rev. 602 (2008).

David McLauchlan, Plain Meaning and Commercial Construction: Has Australia Adopted the ICS Principles?, 25 J. Contract L. 7 (2009).

Elisabeth Peden, "Implicit Good Faith" -- or Do We Still Need as Implied Term of Good Faith?, 25 J. Contract L. 50 (2009).

Michael Risch, Virtual Third Parties, 25 Santa Clara Computer & High Tech. L.J. 415 (2009).

Donald Roberston, Force Majeure Clauses, 25 J. Contract L. 62 (2009).

John Tarrant, Partial Failure of Consideration, 34 U.W. Austl. L. Rev. 59 (2008).

Cory S. Winter, Comment, The Rap on Clickwrap: How Procedural Unconscionability is Threatening the E-Commerce Marketplace, 18 Widener L.J. 249 (2008).

R. George Wright, Your Mileage May Vary: A General Theory of Legal Disclaimers, 7 Pierce L. Rev. 85 (2008).

[Keith A. Rowley]

Now in Print (Hither and Yon Combined)

A number of interesting-looking pieces have made their way over the transom in recent weeks; and, now that spring break is upon me (yeah!), and several outside promotion and tenure reviews are behind me (yeah!!), I have time to pass news of these items along to you.

I am also combining recent U.S.-based and recent non-U.S. publications on the theory that my annoyance at otherwise well-researched books and articles published outside the U.S. for not citing relevant works in U.S. publications might be more righteous if I stopped segregating the lists of new publications.

Allan Beever, Agreements, Mistakes, and Contract Formation, 20 King's L.J. 21 (2009).

Robert B. Bennett, Jr., Trade Usage and Disclaiming Consequential Damages: The Implications of Just-in-Time Purchasing, 46 Am. Bus. L.J. 179 (2009).

J. Zach Burt, Comment, Playing the "Wild Card" in the High-Stakes Game of Urban Drilling: Unconscionability in the Early Barnett Shale Gas Leases, 15 Tex. Wesleyan L. Rev. 1 (2008).

Gilles Cuniberti, Beyond Contract -- The Case for Default Arbitration in International Commercial Disputes, 32 Fordham Int'l L.J. 417 (2009).

Francesco Giglio, Pseudo-Restitutionary Damages: Some Thoughts on the Dual Theory of Restitution for Wrongs, 22 Can. J.L. & Juris. 49 (2009).

Will Hendrick, Comment, Pay or Play?: On Specific Performance and Sports Franchise Leases, 87 N.C. L. Rev. 504 (2009).

Allen Kamp, No Compensation for Slave Traders: Some Implications, 14 Tex. Wesleyan L. Rev. 289 (2008).

Pedro Barasnevicius Quagliato, The Duty to Negotiate in Good Faith, 50 Int'l J.L. & Mgmt. 213 (2008).

Adam Ship, The Primacy of Expectancy in Estoppel Remedies: An Historical and Empirical Analysis, 46 Alberta L. Rev. 77 (2008).

Dan Jerker B Svantesson, Codifying Australia's Contract Law -- Time for a Stocktake in the Common Law Factory, 20 Bond L. Rev. 92 (2008).

Joel Rothstein Wolfson, An Intellectual Property Lawyer's Reading of UCC § 2-312, 126 Banking L.J. 141 (2009).

[Keith A. Rowley]