West Interactive Casebook Series

A Contemporary Approach to Teaching and Learning

Available for Fall '13 Classes
		Estin's Domestic Relationships: A Contemporary Approach By Ann Laquer Estin ISBN 978-0-31427-542-4 Click here to preview the first chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK In print and online, this new casebook considers the full range of contemporary domestic relationships, including families based on marriage and families formed through nonmarital cohabitation. The book presents the framework of constitutional and federal law that shapes family law at the state level, and materials to help students master the practical dimensions of family law including the mechanics of determining marriage validity, establishing parentage, and working with uniform jurisdictional statutes. Text boxes and links to online resources pose critical thinking questions and direct students to international and comparative dimensions of the subject, important ethical questions, and further reading. Click here to learn more about this book and the author.



		Kamin and Bascuas' Investigative Criminal Procedure: A Contemporary Approach, 2d By Sam Kamin and Ricardo J. Bascuas ISBN 978-0-31428-546-1 Click here to preview the table of contents. Click here to preview the second chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK This book provides a comprehensive overview of modern and historical understandings of the pre-trial rights guaranteed by the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. Rather than focusing on holdings, it focuses on concepts and rationales. Carefully edited majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions convey the development of criminal constitutional law, exposing recurring themes and ideas across cases and over the decades. The Supreme Court’s classic and recent cases are organized around a politically agnostic conceptual approach, allowing students to grasp competing theories for understanding the key concepts underlying searches and seizures, interrogations, and the exclusionary rules. “Points for Discussion” following each case focus students on the points of contention among the justices, facilitating class preparation. The included online version links to historical materials and legal sources on Westlaw® and the Internet. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Kunz and Chomsky's Contracts: A Contemporary Approach, 2d By Christina L. Kunz and Carol L. Chomsky ISBN 978-0-31428-307-8 Click here to preview the second chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK This casebook helps students learn more effectively by providing questions to induce critical reading and thinking. Well-situated text boxes provide supplemental information to expand understanding. With better advance preparation, students start class at a more sophisticated level and proceed more easily to deeper analysis. The material is presented in a visually engaging manner, and the accompanying electronic version links directly to cited sources. Restatement, UCC, CISG, and UNIDROIT provisions appear in text, eliminating the need for a statutory supplement. In addition to classic cases foundational in the development of many contracts concepts, the book includes newer cases chosen because they address current issues and modern business practices. “Practice Pointers” provide a transactional focus by explaining the function of common contract clauses. The book includes many problems, both essay and multiple-choice. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.


Available Now
		Beckman, Crump, and Galves' Evidence: A Contemporary Approach, 2d By Sydney A. Beckman, Susan W. Crump, and Fred A. Galves ISBN 978-0-31427-874-6 Click here to preview Chapter 12. ABOUT THE BOOK The 2nd Edition has been reorganized to reflect feedback from users and provides a comprehensive treatment of the former rules while highlighting the new language of the restyling project. The FREs are presented in a clear and concise format that is accessible and engaging to students. The casebook features a novel visual display and layout that uses text boxes, diagrams, and color/border segregated feature sections for hypotheticals, references to scholarly debates, useful information for students, and questions to provoke thought. Additional logic maps have been added providing a visual overview of challenging concepts. The chapter on the confrontation clause has been completely rewritten to reflect recent changes in the law and to provide clear treatment of the concept. A major distinguishing feature of the book is the accompanying electronic version with extensive hyperlinking to Westlaw® versions of legal materials, Black’s Law Dictionary® definitions, supplementary online resources, and more. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Brauneis and Schechter's Copyright: A Contemporary Approach By Robert Brauneis and Roger E. Schechter ISBN 978-0-31415-374-6 Click here to preview the fourth chapter. Click here to preview the first chapter of the Teacher's Manual. Click here to preview the second chapter of the Teacher's Manual. ABOUT THE BOOK This Interactive Casebook provides a comprehensive and provocative introduction to copyright doctrine, policy and the contemporary controversies that animate the field. Numerous call-out boxes provide students direct links to a wealth of online resources including audio and video clips of the work at issue in many of the included cases. Short essays interspersed throughout the volume -- called "Copyright in the Real World" -- link the material in the cases and notes to every day scenarios with which students will be familiar. These features, along with the judiciously edited cases chosen for their interesting fact patterns, will promote lively class discussion and will suit the needs of all copyright teachers regardless of emphasis or level of experience. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Donaldson and Tobin's Federal Income Tax: A Contemporary Approach By Samuel A. Donaldson and Donald B. Tobin ISBN 978-0-31419-883-9 Click here to preview the third chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK Federal Income Tax: A Contemporary Approach uses several modern platforms to introduce students to the federal income taxation of individuals. After a general overview, the book takes two more passes through the system, each in increasing detail. This helps students see the overall structure early in their studies and gives context to new concepts as they are introduced. Helpful self-assessment questions allow students to measure their own comprehension and save valuable class time for more advanced discussions. Almost 100 detailed problems for class discussion require students to apply Code and Regulation provisions to real-life fact patterns. Like other titles in the Interactive Casebook series, the accompanying electronic version gives students immediate access to the full text of cited cases, statutes, articles, and other materials in the Westlaw database. It also contains hundreds of links to relevant videos, photos, articles, audio clips, and other sources that help make the subject come alive for students. The electronic version also allows for immediate content updates, easing the burden on instructors to prepare supplemental material. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Duncan and Turner's Torts: A Contemporary Approach, 2d By Meredith Duncan and Ronald Turner ISBN 978-0-31428-023-7 Click here to preview the fifth chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK This casebook is organized to facilitate the study of tort law in the first year of law school. The text begins with an overview of the subject, pointing out distinctions between tort law and other types of law. It then covers intentional torts, negligence actions, and strict liability. The materials then build on these foundational principles by exploring more advanced tort subjects such as nuisance law, products liability actions, and defamation law. This versatile textbook includes classic cases as well as contemporary cases relevant to today’s students. It also contains discussion questions and hypotheticals throughout. The text is available in both hardbound and electronic format. This casebook features Internet links as well as a teacher's manual, complete with slides ready for classroom use. In addition to the thought-provoking discussion questions throughout the text, the teacher's manual has additional discussion suggestions that will be useful for all levels of teaching, ranging from the newest professor to those who have taught torts for years. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Kamin and Bascuas' Investigative Criminal Procedure: A Contemporary Approach By Sam Kamin and Ricardo J. Bascuas ISBN 978-0-31420-646-6 Click here to preview the eighth chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK The print version of the book is self-contained, and can be used as the sole textbook. But students who purchase the book also have access to an e-version of the book that contains links to supplemental online materials. The authors have organized the book around the way criminal procedure issues arise in practice. The cases are lightly edited and include concurrences and dissents that illuminate the issues at stake or the philosophical divisions of the Court. The interactive e-version allows easy cross-referencing and encourages students to see the connections between the various topics discussed, making it easier for students to retain the big picture as they grapple with the details. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Kunz and Chomsky's Contracts: A Contemporary Approach By Christina L. Kunz and Carol L. Chomsky ISBN 978-0-31418-996-7 Click here to preview the table of contents. Click here to preview the first chapter. Click here to preview the second chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK This casebook allows students to learn more effectively by providing critical reading and thinking questions and well-situated text boxes with supplemental information to explain and expand understanding. With better advance preparation, class can begin at a more sophisticated level and proceed to deeper issues. The material is presented in a visually engaging manner, and the accompanying electronic version provides live links to cited sources and useful websites. Provisions from the Restatement, UCC, CISG, and UNIDROIT appear in text, alleviating the need for a statutory supplement. The book is organized chronologically in the traditional order for contract analysis. It includes classic cases foundational in the historical development of many concepts and newer cases chosen for their teachability and lessons about modern business practices and current issues. “Practice Pointers” provide a transactional focus by explaining the function of common contract clauses. The book includes both essay and multiple choice problems that encourage periodic review. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Maggs and Smith's Constitutional Law: A Contemporary Approach, 2d By Gregory E. Maggs and Peter J. Smith ISBN 978-0-31427-355-0 Click here to preview the eighth chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK The second edition of the casebook, which is suitable either for a one- or two-semester course, strives to make constitutional law easily teachable and readily accessible for students. The authors have selected the cases very carefully and provided fuller versions of the opinions so that students get a good sense of the Court's reasoning. Text boxes call the students' attention to important aspects of each opinion, and the book is filled with introductions, points for discussion, hypotheticals, and executive summaries. The authors present a diversity of views on every subject, and, reflecting some of their own disagreements, the authors have written point-counterpoint discussions on many disputed questions. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Palmiter and Partnoy's Corporations: A Contemporary Approach By Alan R. Palmiter and Frank Partnoy ISBN 978-0-31418-997-4 Click here to preview the first chapter. Click here to preview the fourth chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK This new Interactive Casebook brings corporate law to life for students by focusing on the role of corporations in contemporary society. The book features important and modern policy discussions and includes chapters on corporate social responsibility, externalities, and criminality. At the same time, the authors have made it easy for professors to teach from this book. It covers all of the major relevant cases, includes statutory materials in the text, and synthesizes useful note cases as illustrative examples. The book also covers basic financial concepts, including accounting, options, and executive compensation. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Pearce, Capra and Green's Professional Responsibility: A Contemporary Approach By Russell Pearce, Daniel J. Capra and Bruce A. Green ISBN 978-0-31490-884-1 Click here to preview the third chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK In Print and Online, Professional Responsibility: A Contemporary Approach makes legal ethics fun and challenging by offering a comprehensive treatment of the law and ethics of lawyer’s work in a contemporary and accessible format. Faculty will have the option of using the casebook as an innovative paper text or as the foundation for a computer interactive pedagogy that features thought-provoking internet links, as well as multiple choice questions that allow the professor to connect interactively with each student through TWEN, even in a large lecture class. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Popper, McKee, Varona, and Harter's Administrative Law: A Contemporary Approach, 2d By Andrew Popper, Gwendolyn McKee, Anthony Varona and Philip Harter ISBN 978-0-31425-557-0 Click here to preview the first chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK For experienced law faculty and those new to teaching administrative law, this text offers a complete array of the traditional and familiar cases as well as recent decisions in the field, commentary, original case documents, and updates. Cases and supporting materials were edited and organized in a manner compatible with many pedagogical approaches to the teaching of administrative law, and with an eye towards facilitating self-contained, efficient and engaging reading assignments for individual class sessions. The new edition takes full advantage of the interactive casebook format, giving students access to the full text of most principal and note cases, legal scholarship, and select heretofore unavailable underlying agency documentation. There are dozens of new text boxes, new and challenging practice hypotheticals, and a number of important documents reflecting the recent presidential transition. The text includes more materials on adjudication than many administrative law books, including materials on agency intervention and discovery. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Spencer's Civil Procedure: A Contemporary Approach, 3d By A. Benjamin Spencer ISBN 978-0-31490-864-3 Click here to preview the eighth chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK This third edition includes several significant recent decisions from the Supreme Court, including those addressing corporate citizenship for purposes of diversity jurisdiction (Hertz Corp. v. Friend, 130 S. Ct. 1181 (2010)), the Erie/Hanna doctrine(Shady Grove Orthopedic Assocs., P.A. v. Allstate Ins. Co., 130 S. Ct. 1431 (2010)), pleading standards under Rule 8 (Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937 (2009)), compulsory party joinder (Republic of Philippines v. Pimentel, 553 U.S. 851 (2008), the relation back of amendments (Krupski v. Costa Crociere, S.p.A., 130 S. Ct. 2485 (2010)), and preclusion doctrine (Taylor v. Sturgell, 553 U.S. 880 (2008)). This edition also incorporates the 2009 time computation amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, as well as the 2010 amendments to Rules 8, 26, and 56. Finally, this edition includes recent cases addressing the topic of preservation and spoliation in litigation (Pension Committee v. Banc of America Securities, 685 F. Supp. 2d 456 (S.D.N.Y. 2010), Rimkus Consulting Group, Inc. v. Cammarata, 688 F. Supp. 2d 598 (S.D. Tex. 2010)). The casebook features a novel visual display and layout that uses text boxes, diagrams, and color/border segregated feature sections for hypotheticals, references to scholarly debates, useful information for students, and thought-provoking questions. A major distinguishing feature of the book is its inclusion of an accompanying electronic version with extensive hyperlinks to Westlaw versions of legal materials, Black’s Law Dictionary definitions, supplementary online resources, and more. Click here to learn more about this book and the author.



		Sprankling and Coletta's Property: A Contemporary Approach, 2d By John G. Sprankling and Raymond R. Coletta ISBN 978-0-31427-554-7 Click here to preview the second chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK This casebook is designed to introduce property law to 21^st century law students. It covers the standard property topics with a blend of familiar and modern cases selected to appeal to today's students. It also includes sections on intellectual property and environmental law. As with other books in the Interactive Casebook series, the accompanying electronic version allows students immediate access to the full text of cited cases, statutes, articles, and other materials in the Westlaw database. In addition, the electronic version includes over 180 photographs, maps, diagrams, original documents, and audio clips that help students understand the case materials, together with multiple choice questions and answers so that students can assess their progress. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.



		Weaver, Burkoff, and Hancock's Criminal Law: A Contemporary Approach By Russell L. Weaver, John M. Burkoff and Catherine Hancock ISBN 978-0-31419-453-4 Click here to preview the seventh chapter. ABOUT THE BOOK This book is designed to be easy to use and to produce rewarding and insightful classroom discussion. The focus is on teachability, rather than encyclopedic coverage of the field. The book includes modern cases that reflect the current state of the law and older cases that help students understand and evaluate the modern approach. The book contains numerous hypotheticals designed to stimulate and encourage thought and discussion. The authors have also included materials to help students develop practice skills. Click here to learn more about this book and the authors.

Titles Coming in the Future

Bonfield, LaPiana, and Donaldson's Trusts and Estates: A Contemporary Approach
By Lloyd Bonfield, William P. LaPlana and Samuel A. Donaldson

Brostoff, Sinsheimer and Burkoff's Legal Writing: A Contemporary Approach
By Teresa Brostoff, Ann Sinsheimer and Nancy M. Burkoff

Doernberg and Lee's Federal Courts: A Contemporary Approach
By Donald L. Doernberg and Evan Lee

Hansen, Scafidi and Lim’s Intellectual Property: A Contemporary Approach
By Hugh C. Hansen, Susan Scafidi and Daryl Lim