Introduction; What Is a Tort?

Torts · Fall 2026

Preparing for the first class and beginning the study of tort law.

Welcome!

I can’t wait to meet you in Torts! It will be my first day at MC too. I would like to get to know something about you before our first class, so complete the informal survey available here.

“But what is a tort,” I hear you say, “and why do I need to go to class three times a week to learn about it?” Great questions! Please come to class having completed the preparation below.

Class 1 · Monday, Aug. 17

Preparation

• CB: xxvii–xxxix
• FF: 1–5
• Orin S. Kerr, How to Read a Legal Opinion: A Guide for New Law Students, 11 Green Bag 2d 51 (2007)
• Assignment: Complete the pre-course survey before class.

Farnsworth & Grady is our casebook. The introduction goes a long way in answering those questions. Like much else in law school, Torts is learned primarily through reading and discussing cases. The Kerr article helps students understand how and why we read cases.

Lastly, a note: our course also adopts Kenneth Abraham, The Forms and Functions of Tort Law (6th ed. 2022). You have digital access to it through the library’s subscription to the West Academic Study Aids Collection.