Evidence: Cases, Commentary, and Problems (Aspen Casebook Series)

Evidence: Cases, Commentary, and Problems offers comprehensive coverage of the topics and concepts central to evidence law, while remaining concise enough to cover in a four-unit course. Organized around the Federal Rules of Evidence, with carefully edited cases, thought-provoking problems, and a wide variety of secondary material, this casebook gives students a solid foundation in the principles and debates surrounding evidence law without the confusion of more encyclopedic approaches.

The Third Edition includes new materials and cases reflecting developments in privilege and physical evidence, confrontation clause jurisprudence, and technical and jurisprudential developments in scientific proof. New problems and cases have been added throughout, with older ones still available on the website for quick reference.

Features:

• Comprehensive coverage of all subjects traditionally covered in evidence courses, as well as areas of emerging debate.
• Well-selected, tightly edited cases illustrate the central concepts and controversies of the law rather than attempting encyclopedic coverage.
• Carefully selected problems--some hypothetical and some based on actual casesallow students to test their understanding of particularly confusing rules.
• Compelling excerpts from treatises and law review articles; portions of the legislative history of the Rules, particularly the Advisory Committee Notes; and congressional reports and floor debates augment the cases.
• Thoughtful organization of the material is based on the Federal Rules of Evidence and leverages the Rules as a teaching tool.
• Chapter 1 provides the background knowledge assumed in most discussions of evidence law, including judicial opinions, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and the Legislative History of the Rules.
• Short enough to teach cover-to-cover in a four-unit course.

Thoroughly updated, the revised Third Edition presents:

• New material reflecting developments in confrontation clause jurisprudence, especially as relates to Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts and Michigan v. Bryant.
• New material on privilege and physical evidence.
• Numerous new cases added, with older ones moved to the website.
• Revised material to reflect technical and jurisprudential developments in the field of scientific proof.
• More problems to challenge students.

David Alan Sklansky is Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, and Faculty Co-Director of the Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice.