LAW 674 - Property Theory Seminar

Spring (2-3) James Stern

This seminar will explore advanced topics in property law, including the meaning of property and property rights, the way property systems and structures work, and the origins, justification, and limits of property law. Course materials will consist of foundational legal, historical, and philosophical texts, as well as significant current scholarship. After several weeks of background reading, each session will be devoted to intensive study of a single law review article. For each article, one student will prepare a written critique and one student will be asked to defend the article in class against the critique. The course will stress skills of close reading, critical analysis, and persuasive argumentation. Thorough preparation and active participation each session are essential. Grading will be based upon a ten-page critique of a designated law review article, oral defense of a designated article, and class participation.