Week 1

Class 1 outlines

American judicial system and legal research

Court systems

Editorial: “Look behind names for good judges” Seattle Post-Intelligencer (21 Sept 00)
Editorial: “Selecting judges: We can do better” The Seattle Times (21 Sept 00)
“High-court seat going Owens’ way” The Seattle Times (9 Nov 00)
“No voice from Eastern Washington” Seattle Post-Intelligencer (16 Jan 01)
“Washington Supreme Court elects Chief Justice” Washington Courts (8 Nov 04)
“State Justice Bridge is retiring” Seattle Post-Intelligencer (2 June 07)
“Gregoire picks Spokane jurist for high court” The Seattle Times (4 Dec 07)
Editorial: “State Supreme Court: A plus for fairness” Seattle Post-Intelligencer (5 Dec 07)
“Stephens sworn in on state’s high court” The Seattle Times (8 Jan 08)
“Justice Charles Johnson seeks fourth term” The Seattle Times (17 Mar 08)
Editorial: “The highest court merits a deep field” The Seattle Times (30 Mar 08)
“Sandra Day O’Connor: End judge elections in Wash.” The Seattle Times (14 Sept 09)
“Alexander to step down as Wash. chief justice” The Seattle Times (29 Sept 09)

Parties: plaintiff, defendant/cross complainant, cross defendant, appellant, appellee (respondent)
Pleadings (“notice”): complaint, answer/counterclaim, answer; default
Discovery: interrogatories, depositions, disclosure of documents
Law sources
- State: constitution, statutes (RCW), administrative regulations (WAC), executive orders, attorney general opinions (e.g., AGO 1996 #18 re WSCTC), court decisions (case law)
- Federal: constitution, statutes (USC), administrative regulations (CFR), executive orders, attorney general opinions, administrative agency decisions, court decisions (case law)
- Secondary: encyclopedias, Shepard’s, services, law reviews
- Gallagher Law Library: logistics, research
- LexisNexis™ Academic: access FAQ
Stare decisis: following precedent in similar cases from higher court within the jurisdiction (“binding” v. “persuasive”)
Trial: unusual occurrence, rules of evidence
Judgment enforcement: search for property? “frame the judgment”
Appeals: issues of law (not fact), collected in regional reporters

Association forms

Sole proprietorship
Partnership: RCW 25.05 (L 98 ... 09)
Limited liability partnership (LLP): RCW 25.05.500 et seq. (L 98 ... 09)
- SHB 1067 (L 09): uniform limited partnership act [ report]
Corporation: RCW 23B (L 89 ... 09)
- HB 1068 (L 09): notice, corporate action, other revisions [ report]
Non-profit corporation: RCW 24.03 (L 67 ... 04)
Limited liability company (LLC): RCW 25.15 (L 94 ... 08)
Professional corporation: RCW 18.100 (L 69 ... 01)
- Architects permitted: RCW 18.08.420 (L 85, 91, 02)
- Engineers permitted: RCW 18.43.130(8) (L 35 ... 02)
- Landscape architects recently permitted: RCW 18.96.070 (L 69, 09)
  - SSB 5273 (L 09): “title” “practice” licensing [ report]
Joint venture
Unincorporated association
“Shared office” arrangements
Professional associations: AIA AIC ASCE ASLA CMAA

Agency relationship

Contract formation principles

Contractual freedom
Contract classifications
- Express
- Implied
  - King v. Clodfelter, 10 Wn. App. 514 (1974)
    - HB 1290 (1997): repeal “dead man’s” statute
      - RCW 5.60.030 (L 1854 ... 1977)
Mutual assent
- Objective theory
- Offer and acceptance
  - Blue Mountain v. Grant County, 49 Wn. 2d 685 (1957)
  - Lakeside v. Austin, 89 Wn. 2d 839 (1978)
- Certain terms
- Formal document
- Agreements to agree
- Memo of understanding
- Letter of intent
Defects
- Fraud and misrepresentation
- Economic duress
- Mistake
- Unconscionability
- Formation
Consideration
- Bargain
- Reliance
Statute of Frauds: RCW 19.36.010 (L 1854 ... 1905)
- French v. Sabey, 134 Wn. 2d 547 (1998)
- Duckworth v. Langland, 95 Wn. App. 1 (1998)
Employment contracts from 5th edition
- “At will”
  - Thompson v. St. Regis, 102 Wn. 2d 219 (1984)
  - Greaves v. Medical Imaging, 124 Wn. 2d 389 (1994)
  - DePhillips v. Zolt, 136 Wn. 2d 26 (1998)
- Covenants not-to-compete: problem
  - Perry v. Moran, 109 Wn. 2d 691 (1987), 111 Wn. 2d 885 (1989)
  - Copier Specialists v. Gillen, 76 Wn. App. 771 (1995)
  - Lambriola v. Pollard, 152 Wn. 2d 828 (2004)

Contract breach remedies

Function: injured party compensation
Money award: damages (principal remedy)
Equitable decrees
- Specific performance
- Injunction
Punishment: punitive damages (rare)
Protected interests
- Restitution: reimbursement of payments or benefits conferred
- Reliance: reimbursement of expenses rendered valueless
- Expectation: benefit of bargain
Recovery obstacles
- Causation
- Certainty
- Foreseeability
- Mitigation
- Lost profits
- Collateral source
- Contractual control
- Noneconomic losses
Attorneys’ fees recoverability: RCW 4.84.010 (L 1854 ... 2007), .330 (L 77)
- Armstrong v. Thompson, 64 Wn. 2d 191 (1964)
- SB 6059 (L 07): service of process costs [ report]
- Contractor registration bond: 18.27.040 (L 63 ... 07)
  - Cosmopolitan v. Ondeo, 159 Wn. 2d 292 (2006)
  - McGuire v. Bates, 147 Wn. App. 751 (2008)
- Condominium Act: RCW 64.34.455 (L 89)
  - Eagle Point v. Coy, 102 Wn. App. 697 (2000)
- Public works contracts: RCW 39.04.240 (L 92, 99)
  - SHB 1671 (L 99) [ report]
  - Basin v. CBIC, 123 Wn. App. 410 (2004)
Prejudgment interest recoverability
- Kiewit-Grice v. State, 77 Wn. App. 867 (1995)
- DOC v. Fluor Daniels, 160 Wn. 2d 786 (2007)