Contract Law for Dummies - (For Dummies) by Scott J Burnham (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Contract law deals with the promises and agreements that law will enforce. Understanding contract law is vital for all aspiring lawyers and paralegals, and contracts courses are foundational courses within all law schools. Contract Law For Dummies tracks to a typical contracts course and assists you in understanding the foundational legal rules controlling voluntary agreements people enter into while conducting their personal and business affairs. Suitable as a supplement to introductory and advanced courses in contract law, Contract Law For Dummies gives you plain-English explanations of confusing terminology and aids in the reading and analysis of cases and statutes.

Contract Law For Dummies gives you coverage of everything you need to know to score your highest in a typical contracts course. You'll get coverage of contract formation; contract defenses; contract theory and legality; agreement, consideration, restitution, and promissory estoppel; fraud and remedies; performance and breach; electronic contracts and signatures; and much more.

• Tracks to a typical contracts course
• Plain-English explanations demystify intimidating information
• Clear, practical information helps you interpret and understand cases and statutes

If you're enrolled in a contracts course or work in a profession that requires you to be up-to-speed on the subject, Contract Law For Dummies has you covered.

From the Back Cover

Take the mumbo jumbo out of contract law and ace your contracts course

Confused by contract law? This hands-on guide gives you plain-English explanations of terminology and language used in contracts, showing you how to read and analyze cases and statutes with ease. You'll quickly and painlessly get up to speed on contract formation; contract theory and legality; agreement, consideration, restitution, and promissory estoppel; fraud and remedies; performance and breach; the parol evidence rule; and more.

• Defense! Defense! -- get the 4-1-1 on contract formation and the different contract defenses, including whether a party did anything illegal or unfair, whether the parties had the ability to make a contract, and the factors that determine whether an oral agreement is enforceable
• Make sense of the madness -- grasp the strategies the courts use to fill the gaps in a contract and interpret what the language really means
• To perform or to breach -- find out how one party may breach a contract even before performance is due by anticipatory repudiation
• There's a remedy for that -- understand the various methods available to the courts to remedy a breach in a way that's fair for both parties
• Bring a third party into the picture -- discover how to recognize the rights and duties of third parties and decide under what circumstances third parties are allowed to enforce contracts

Open the book and find:

• Coverage of common law contracts and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)
• How a contract is formed through mutual assent
• Ways to determine whether a party has performed as promised
• How to determine whether a contract is void, voidable, or unenforceable
• Advice on figuring out remedies for breach
• Tips for interpreting contracts
• Questions to ask when analyzing contract problems
• Examples drawn from real-life cases

About the Author

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.