Course Section | Columbia Law School

Section Description Provided by Instructor

Evalution will be based on a proctored written examination with some consideration given to class participation.

Property, along with Contract and Torts, are foundational courses grounded in the common law. Contract deals with the exchange of property, and torts (in significant part) with the protection of property against harms. Property deals with the things that are subject to exchange or protection. Questions considered include: How are property rights originally established? What are the basic rights of ownership and the limits on these rights? How can ownership be divided over time and among multiple persons? What sorts of mechanisms exist for coordinating the interests of neigboring property owners? How far should government forebear from frustrating expectations about property rights, specifically, when should government compensate for "taking" property? The focus will be on traditional property rights in land and movables.

The course casebook is Dukeminier, Krier, Alexander & Schill, Property, (7th ed. 2010)