Skills & Values: Property Law

The Skills & Values Series is an innovative hybrid series of subject-specific, practice-oriented books. The series is designed as a tool for professors to teach practical and analytical skills that can help students serve future clients competently, skillfully, and in an ethical manner.

Skills & Values: Property Law allows students to experience the connection among theory, doctrine, and practice in property law. The exercises provide an opportunity for studying concepts from the perspective of a practicing attorney who must not only know the law, but also employ lawyering skills and values—such as legal strategy, factual development, advocacy, counseling, drafting, problem solving, and ethical principles—in zealously representing a client.

Each chapter in Skills & Values: Property Law addresses a specific topic covered in most property law school courses. The chapters begin with an introduction to help bridge the gap between the actual practice of law and the doctrine and theory studied in class. Students will then have the opportunity to engage in active, "hands-on" learning by working through a stand-alone exercise that simulates a real-life legal dilemma. The exercises are as authentic as possible, incorporating materials such as client interview videos, convenience account agreements, sales contracts, deeds, property descriptions and photos, variance applications, zoning regulations, and homeowner association bylaws. The self-assessment tool included at the end of each chapter suggests ways that a practicing attorney might have approached each exercise. It is not meant to provide "the answer," but to identify issues and strategies students should have considered in order to effectively represent a client.