Lawyers and engineers have more in common than one might think – While they may work with different tools, both of them must take complex and intricate problems and provide solutions that will satisfy not only clients, but society at large. This requires the ability to think critically and communicate those ideas effectively.
The first area of law that we will be studying is “tort” law. Tort law is generally the law of injury–one person harms another person, and must pay for the damage.
Step 1. Read the following:
Chapter 2: Law, Critical Thinking, and Good Communication
Chapter 3: Tort Law
Additional resources: http://www.nolo.com/, http://www.findlaw.com/, http://www.wikipedia.com/.
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Step 2. Complete the homework tasks described in this lesson.
Free Answer questions:
1. 2020 has had a lot of discussion about the “Rule of Law.” What is the “Rule of Law,” and what do you think are the alternatives to it? Why is it important to understand that America is governed by the “Rule of Law?”
2. What does “liability” mean to you? What do you think is required prior to holding someone “liable” for something?
Short answer questions:
3. What does “intent” mean?
4. What is a “battery” in the legal sense of the term?
5. What are the four steps of the IRAC method for analyzing legal problems?
Hypothetical (Do the best you can):
6. Shane and his friend Mark were sitting in front of Shane’s house on a Saturday morning. At some point, Shane reached out and lightly kicked Mark’s big toe. Mark’s only reaction was to get up and chase Shane around the front yard for a few minutes before the boys found something else to do. But three days later, Mark’s toe had swelled to double its size, and he had to go to the emergency room. Stumped for reasons, the doctor asked Mark whether he could remember anything that might have caused an injury, and Mark mentioned Shane’s kick. Discuss whether Shane (or actually, his parents) might be liable for Mark’s injuries.
2 pages – MLA formatting.