Abstract
In several respects, Franklin and Rabin's casebook provides a wonderful and effective vehicle for teaching torts, particularly to first-year students. The book develops important overarching themes while effectively presenting a wide variety of specific tort doctrines. The book also offers professors opportunities to sharpen students' legal abilities. In Part I of this review, I will discuss the first case in Franklin and Rabin's book and explain its usefulness in introducing several themes that both are critical to understanding tort law and assume a prominent place throughout the casebook. In Part II, I will focus on Franklin and Rabin's treatment of particular topics within the field of torts. I will concentrate on the materials regarding four aspects of negligence causes of action: duty to avoid exposing others to emotional harm unaccompanied by physical injury, medical malpractice, regulatory compliance, and proximate cause. I will also critique the materials addressing products liability, intentional torts, defamation, and privacy. In Part III, I will discuss the usefulness of the casebook in imparting lawyering skills to first-year students-skills such as thinking creatively about facts, appreciating the importance of developing facts, legal analysis, and appreciating the procedural posture of cases.
Recommended Citation
Bernard W. Bell, The Wide World of Torts: Reviewing Franklin & Rabin's Tort Law and Alternatives, 25 SEATTLE U. L. REV. 1 (2001).
