Because I don’t believe in fixing things that are not broken and because the reviewers
and users of this book have told me that it isn’t broken, I have retained the original
organization, content, and pedagogy in this edition. This remains a combination textbook
and casebook. The cases are edited and the text written with the undergraduate
student in mind. It is my hope that the writing level of this book will challenge undergraduate
students without overwhelming them.
All of the pedagogical features of the earlier editions have been retained, including
highlighted definitions, glossary of terms, table of cases, and a thorough index. The
distinction between chapter questions and chapter problems continues in this text, the
former testing content knowledge and the latter testing the students’ problem-solving
and analytical skills.
Keeping in mind the diverse audience of students and instructors who use this
text, I have designed two general methods of use. The first is as a combination text
and casebook. The second method is to omit the cases and use the text alone. Both
methods are possible because I do not use any case to exclusively teach a point of law.
Instead, the cases are used to illustrate a point in practice and to develop the cognitive
skills of students. Accordingly, if time does not permit it or the educational goals of an
instructor are focused elsewhere, the cases may be omitted without losing substantive
content.