Peter Smith
Author
Series
Midsomer Murders volume 3
Language
English
Description
When King's family enterprise shatters into pieces and its accountant winds up stabbed, Barnaby digs into rivalries of business and blood-while Jones explores secret Masonic rites.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 44
Language
English
Description
The focus of this lecture is on negligence or other culpable conduct on the part of the plaintiff. What does tort law say about what happens when a plaintiff is at fault? Just how much of a two-way street is an issue like safety? For some answers, look to seat belts.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 8
Language
English
Description
Why are innocent people sometimes convicted of crimes they didn't commit? Often, it's because a jury is persuaded by problematic evidence. How do lawyers navigate these troubled legal waters? Investigate three of the most important kinds of flawed evidence: false confessions, mistaken eyewitness identification, and flawed "expert" evidence.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 30
Language
English
Description
Lawsuits today often involve multiple plaintiffs suing multiple defendants on multiple claims. How does this kind of complex litigation work? First, consider the rules governing "joinder" - when claims and parties can be joined in one suit. Then, turn to a familiar (and special) multi-party suit: the class action.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 9
Language
English
Description
Explore how lawyers cross-examine a witness without losing control, without eliciting unexpected answers, and without offending the jury. Along the way, you'll learn tips for effective cross-examination, study the cross-examination skills of renowned civil and criminal defense attorney Roy Black, and learn about the process of conducting impeachments.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 1
Language
English
Description
In this lecture, use a 1963 Supreme Court case, Gideon v. Wainwright, as a window into the relationship between litigation and the American legal system. You'll explore why we adopted this particular system, how it works, and why we teach law in America the way we do.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 35
Language
English
Description
The subject of this lecture isn't about getting a case right - it's about getting a case over with. Consider the rules that prevent parties from relitigating matters that courts have already decided. What's the difference between prior litigation and subsequent litigation? Several important cases offer illuminating insights.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 40
Language
English
Description
Lawyers define rules as the alternative to flexible, case-specific standards. Rules, as you'll discover in this lecture, have their advantages and disadvantages over standards - but they all take power and discretion away from the jury. Professor Cheng uses an example that hits close to home for many of us: speed limits.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 31
Language
English
Description
No, the discovery process isn't glamorous. But it's important in that it allows parties access to information to support their claims and defenses. How do we define the "scope of discovery," as well as terms like "substantial need" and "work product"? How can the process be used to wear down plaintiffs?
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 14
Language
English
Description
In this lecture, explore the fundamental requirement of mens rea, or the guilty mind. Topics here include: how criminal intent is traditionally defined, the relationship between malice and motive, what happens when a defendant claims to lack a guilty mind, and the concept of criminal liability without fault (known as strict liability).
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 12
Language
English
Description
A case argued before the Supreme Court of the United States is one of great significance. First, consider the history and evolution of the Supreme Court over the centuries. Then, using Citizens United v. FEC, gain insights into how political and ideological dynamics within the Court affect the cases brought before it.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 36
Language
English
Description
Trial courts, intermediate courts of appeals, the Supreme Court - different courts play different roles in our legal system. First, consider when a party is allowed to appeal a decision by a trial court. Then, consider the standards of review that appellate courts apply when reviewing trial court decisions.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 6
Language
English
Description
Direct examination has been popularized by countless TV crime dramas. But how does it work in a real courtroom? In this lecture, learn how lawyers figure out whom to put on the witness stand, what questions they should ask, and how to prepare witnesses for their day in court.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 27
Language
English
Description
Just because a court has jurisdiction over a case doesn't mean it has jurisdiction over the defendant. Enter personal jurisdiction. Learn why this doctrine hasn't been constant over time, the importance of the (eventually replaced) Pennoyer ruling, and when an out-of-state defendant should be subject to personal jurisdiction.
Author
Series
Midsomer Murders volume 1
Language
English
Description
Undertaker Patrick Pennyman is found dead with his wrists slashed and suspicion turns towards a spiritualist church.
