Santa Clara University School of Law
Consumer Protection Outline and Reading Assignments
Professor Wright and Neustadter Spring 1994

Reading List

All page references are to the casebook (Spanogle, et. al., Consumer Law Cases and Materials, 2nd Ed., West 1991).  Unless otherwise announced in class, you should also study the statutory provisions referred to in the casebook.  You will find the applicable statutes in your Selected Commercial Statutes (West 1993).  The casebook includes problems.  Prepare to discuss only those problems specifically referred to in the reading assignment. 

The reading list is organized and numbered by topic.  Sometimes we will spend more than one class period on one topic and sometimes we will cover more than one topic in a class period.

Part 2 of the Reading List will be distributed approximately mid-way through the semester. 

1.  Introduction:  pp. 1-8, 751-52, 775-78 (problem 1).

Constraints on voluntary disclosure:

2.  Misrepresentation; punitive damages:  pp. 9-24 (problem 2), 883-90 (problem
     1).

3.  Omission and negligent misrepresentation:  pp. 24-39 (problems 4 and 5).

4.  Federal Trade Commission Act proscription of unfair or deceptive acts or
     practices:  pp. 39-69 (problems 6-12).

5.  Federal Trade Commission enforcement actions:  pp. 811-812,    824-846
     (problems 6-8).

6.  Federal Trade Commission rules; implied private rights of action:  pp. 846-858;
     pp. 192-97 (top) (problem 5), F.T.C. Regulations for Door-to-Door Sales
     (Selected Commercial Statutes), note 5 on p. 204, pp. 205 (bottom) - 207
     (problems 7 and 8).

7.  State proscription of unfair or deceptive acts or practices: pp. 69-84 (problem
     14), 812-23 (middle) (problems 2 and 3).

8.  Class actions: materials to be assigned.

9.  First amendment protection of commercial speech:  pp. 84-96 (problems 16
     and 17).

Mandatory disclosure - - the Truth in Lending example:

10.  An introduction to the regulation of credit

       a.  Regulating the price of goods:  pp. 613-16;

       b.  Regulating the price of credit: pp. 630-37 (problems 1 and 2), pp. 645-54,
            pp. 656-58.

11.  Introduction to Truth-in-Lending, pp. 97-110.

12.  Closed-End credit, pp. 111-118 (problems 1, 2A, 2B).

13.  Open-End credit, including home equity lines: pp. 118-132 (problems 3 and
       4A).

14.  Right of rescission, pp. 196 (bottom) - 205 (problem 6).

15.  Timing of disclosure, and advertising: pp. 136-145 (problems 5 and 8).

16.  Finance charge:  pp. 145-158 (problems 10, 11A and 11B).

17.  Remedies, attorneys' fees, and class actions:  pp. 798-800, 803-806
       (problems 7 and 8), pp. 869 (bottom)-870.

18.  Evaluation of mandatory disclosure:  pp. 158-174.         

Product Quality: Warranties

19.  U.C.C.: warranties, disclaimers, and damage remedies
        U.C.C. sections 2-313, 2-314, 2-315, 2-316, 2-606, 2-607,  2-714, 2-715,
        2-717; Problem 2, then 1, at pp. 367-68.

20.  U.C.C.: rejection, revocation of acceptance, limitations on remedies, privity
        U.C.C. sections 2-601, 2-608, 2-711, 2-719, 2-318; pp. 369-89 (incl. Prob. 5).

21.  Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (the Act and its regulations are in Selected
       Commercial Statutes) pp. 390-95 (up to, but not including Problem 8); pp.
       398-400 (Probs. 9-12).

22.  Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act: Used car sales rule (to be distributed)

23.  State warranty law which supplements U.C.C. - - the California example
        Song-Beverly Act (to be distributed); pp. 400-06 (Prob. 13, including its
        reference to pp. 753-760).  Privity:  pp. 395-98 (Prob. 8).

Responsibility of Third Party Financiers

24.  Problems 3 and 4 at pp. 368-69 and pp. 411-413 (incl. Prob.16).

25.  F.T.C. Holder in Due Course Rule:  pp. 413-23 (incl. Probs. 17-19).

26.  Direct Financing:  pp. 423-29 (incl. Probs. 21-24).

27.  Card issuer liability:  pp. 429-34 (incl. Probs. 26, 27).

28.  Evaluation:  pp. 434-37.