Summer Intersession or Fall 2013 Initial Class Assignment for:

Case Assessment & Strategy § 432

Instructor: Stevenson

First class date: Aug 14, 2013

Posting date: Jul 27, 2013 @ 12:39:52

Instructions:

CASE ASSESSMENT & STRATEGY SKILLS


PRE-CLASS ASSIGNMENT

Please read the following cases and article excerpts in preparation 
for the first class.

•	Decision Analysis, Game Theory, & Information – pp. 1-63

•	Civil Damages Case Study: Mathias v. Accor Economy Lodging, 
347 F.3d 672 (7th Cir. 2003) (“Bedbugs Case”)

•	Briefing the Duty of Care/Negligence: McCarty v. Pheasant Run, 
Inc., 826 F.2d 1554 (7th Cir. 1987)

•	Shavell, Economic Analysis, pp. 80-94 (calculating optimal 
initial demand amounts settlement negotiations)

Introduction Sections of the following articles (these are VERY 
important for the course): 
•	Chen, Chien, & Chu, Sequential Versus Unitary Trials with 
Asymmetric Information, 26 J. LEG. STUD. 239 (1997) (read first 8 
pages)

•	Reverse Bifurcation, 75 U. CINC. L. REV. 213 (2006) (read 
entire introduction)

•	Debra S. Emmelman, Trial By Pleabargain: Case Settlement as a 
Product of Recursive Decisionmaking, 30 LAW & SOC'Y REV. 335, 340-51 
(1996) (read first 10 pages of excerpt on course website)

•	Stephanos Bibas, Plea Bargaining Outside the Shadow of Trial, 
117 HARV. L. REV. 2463, 2464-96 (2004) (read first 9 pages of excerpt 
on course website)


Given the compressed schedule of the course, you may want to “get 
ahead” on the reading by going through all the cases that are posted 
on the course website, not only those that are part of the pre-class 
assignment for the first day.  There will be additional reading 
material (cases and book excerpts) assigned to read for each day.

Please print out all the handouts, cases, and other materials on the 
course website and bring them to class each day.