Law Commons^™

A Contract Theory Of Academic Freedom, Philip Lee

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

Academic freedom is central to the core role of professors in a free society. Yet, current First Amendment protections exist to protect academic institutions, not the academics themselves. For example, in Urofsky v. Gilmore, six professors employed by various public colleges and universities in Virginia challenged a law restricting state employees from accessing sexually explicit material on computers owned or leased by the state. The professors claimed, in part, that such a restriction was in violation of their First Amendment academic freedom rights to conduct scholarly research. The Fourth Circuit upheld the law and noted that “to the …

Learning Contracts Through Current Events: Lawrence Cunningham’S Contracts In The Real World: Stories Of Popular Contracts And Why They Matter, Miriam A. Cherry

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

In his recent book published by Cambridge University Press, Professor Lawrence Cunningham explores the nuances of contract law through current events. His decision to use the contracts of modern-day singers, actors, and entertainers to illustrate contract law principles is an inspired choice that will appeal to today’s law students. The book guides the reader down the well-trodden path of classic contract doctrines and applies those classics in modern, celebrity-laden contexts. In this regard, the book reads like an updated version of Marvin Chirelstein’s classic contracts primer— an easy-to-read and clearly written commentary. Cunningham’s version adds rollicking celebrity stories to …

A Tyrannosaurus-Rex Aptly Named Sue: Using A Disputed Dinosaur To Teach Contract Defenses, Miriam A. Cherry

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

In August 1990, commercial fossil hunters from the Black Hills Geologic Institute ("Black Hills") discovered the remains of an almost complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton located in the Badlands of South Dakota. Named "Sue" after her discoverer, the fossil immediately became the subject of controversy. Although many of the facts were disputed, the collectors gave the purported owner of the land, a Native American rancher named Maurice Williams, a check for $5,000, which he cashed, and the collectors excavated Sue. The fair market value of a T-Rex skeleton with that degree of completeness was over eight million dollars.

Once the …