Reading Assignments for 2/27/02 through 3/11/02

We will be discussing Damages: One Family's Legal Struggles In the World of Medicine by Barry Werth on these days (as well as the previously assigned article on contingent fees). When reading Damages, you should look for matters that relate to this class (i.e., the functioning of courts and the judicial system, actors in the judicial system, etc.). Come to class each day prepared to discuss these matters that arise in the reading assigned for that day.

You should read the following pages for the following class periods:

2/27: Chapters 1-5 in Damages. Also read Nace, "The Contingent Fee." Trial, pages 59-61 (October 1994) (on reserve at John Jay Library)

3/4: Chapters 6-11 in Damages

3/6: Chapters 12-17 in Damages

3/11: Chapter 18-end in Damages

For the 2/27 class, think about the following:

People are injured in this country every day. However, only a very small percentage of these injured individuals end up in court seeking some type of redress for their injuries. Why is that? Is it solely a function of the seriousness of the injury, or is it something more? Is there some type of process that transforms injuries into legal disputes?

Other questions will be posed for the remaining classes on Damages.