Through a reading of cases, commentary, and the Restatement (Third) of Torts we will explore 2 fundamental questions in the area of private law: factual causation and the scope of liability for consequences of breach of obligation/contravention of statutory provision. As is the norm with reading groups, there will be no examination or paper, and the class will be graded credit/fail.
As of now the topics for the six meetings are planned to be:
1. What do/should lawyers mean by causation?
2. Important remaining puzzles
3. How law deals with evidentiary gaps re factual cause
4. Liability for consequences
5. Causes and Consequences: commercial applications
6. Causes and Consequences in other Federal Statutes
Prerequisites: Torts, Contracts.
