Write a Book review on A Civil Action – for business law class
The purpose of this assignment is to apply what you have learned in Section I to a complex litigation case. AFTER you have completed your study of the legal environment of business, you are to prepare an essay paper combining what you have learned in our first section of our course to the book A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr. Your paper should focus on the procedural and substantive aspects of the lawsuit brought by Woburn, Massachusetts families against Beatrice Foods and W.R. Grace Company. Discuss whether you believe the system was fair to all parties and promoted the twin goals of our legal system, stability, and flexibility.
For your consideration, the following prompts may be helpful:
(1) This case involves civil, criminal, and administrative law. Why is the action set in the civil system? How would the other legal systems (i.e., the criminal system, contract law, etc.) have addressed the issues in the case?
(2) There are significant pretrial matters outlined in the book. With a lawsuit this large and complex, how could/did the lawsuit proceed in a fairer and/or efficient manner?
(3) This case ultimately boils down to a negligence cause of action. Address how each element of negligence was presented in this lawsuit.
(4) Did the judge maintain flexibility and stability throughout the case? Why and/or why not?
(5) There are significant ethical issues for all parties and witnesses in this case. Who acted ethically and who failed to do so in this case?
(6) Discuss the events in the case that could have ended the action. Given the time and expense, should the lawsuit have resolved short of trial?
(7) Key witnesses in this trial lied and/or were misleading in their testimony. How can/should non-truthful statements be handled in a court of law.
Your essay should be no less than 1000 words and no more than 1200 words. Direct quotations and paraphrases should be correctly cited from the book. The essay should follow a standard introduction, body, and conclusion format.
Remember, I want your REFLECTION on the book, not a summary of the book. Apply what you have learned in class to the material the author presents in the book.
The organization of the paper will follow a consistent pattern of identifying the legal issue or rule, analyzing the issue to the facts of the case in the book, and a conclusion consistent with the thesis of your paper.
