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Secured Transactions: A Systems Approach
The premier authority on secured transactions, Secured A Systems Approach is known for its cutting-edge coverage, dynamic pedagogy, and ease of use for instructors. The Systems Approach gives students the big picture. Straightforward explanations and cases prepare the students to solve real-life problems in the context of actual transactions. A modular structure allows for tremendous flexibility in course design. The materials are divided into bite-sized assignments, making it easier for instructors to make and adjust assignments for class. This problem-based casebook supports the teaching of Article 9 alone or expansion of the course to include Article 9 in the full context of bankruptcy, mortgages, judicial liens, and statutory liens.
New to the 9th
Updated throughout, while retaining the same structure.Highly adaptable modular text broken into assignments. Main sections can be taught in any order.New cases throughout (including the Second Circuit’s landmark decision in In re Motors Liquidation).Problem-based approach with ethics integrated.Problems progress from easy to difficult.Professors and students will benefit
Comprehensive Teacher’s Manual with suggestions for teaching coverage, changes from the prior edition, lists of key concepts for each assignment, and the answers to every question asked in the book.The main sections can be taught in any order. Bite-sized assignments organized for 50-minute or 75-minute classes.Can support ABA-qualified experiential courses.Casebook authors who are happy to engage with adopters and include them as characters in the book.Coverage of non-Article 9 aspects of secured transactions that students will need as lawyersDefault problem sets for ease of assignment; extra problems for variety from year to year. Engaging problems with interesting characters and real-world issues, providing all of the information necessary to solve the problems.A real-life approach that prepares students for the practice of law.Clear explanations of every subject – no hiding of the ball.Basic financial literacy information included throughout the book.Focus on how lien systems actually work in practice.
New to the 9th
Updated throughout, while retaining the same structure.Highly adaptable modular text broken into assignments. Main sections can be taught in any order.New cases throughout (including the Second Circuit’s landmark decision in In re Motors Liquidation).Problem-based approach with ethics integrated.Problems progress from easy to difficult.Professors and students will benefit
Comprehensive Teacher’s Manual with suggestions for teaching coverage, changes from the prior edition, lists of key concepts for each assignment, and the answers to every question asked in the book.The main sections can be taught in any order. Bite-sized assignments organized for 50-minute or 75-minute classes.Can support ABA-qualified experiential courses.Casebook authors who are happy to engage with adopters and include them as characters in the book.Coverage of non-Article 9 aspects of secured transactions that students will need as lawyersDefault problem sets for ease of assignment; extra problems for variety from year to year. Engaging problems with interesting characters and real-world issues, providing all of the information necessary to solve the problems.A real-life approach that prepares students for the practice of law.Clear explanations of every subject – no hiding of the ball.Basic financial literacy information included throughout the book.Focus on how lien systems actually work in practice.
727 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 25, 2022
Only adding this one to good reads because I read it cover to cover. Who knew commercial law could be so interesting?!
December 19, 2020
The best law textbook I've read. Probably the best textbook I've ever read, period. It not only saved me from completely flunking a class, but sparked my interest in an area of law I hadn't previously considered. It was good enough that I chose to finish the unassigned portions of the book after the semester finished.
First, some context:
My professor was junk. He jumped from topic to topic at random. He assigned no readings, but then 6 readings at random. His stories were mainly unhelpful. He would "review" the problems by spitballing half an answer, but then move onto more random lecturing without finishing them.
The UCC is junk. While it is more comprehensive and consistent compared to other statutes I've read (the Internal Revenue Code is, in every sense, a monster), I still found the UCC hard to understand without outside context.
My own study habits were junk. In every semester, I end up triaging my energy and study time to the most immediate-need classes. I assigned SecTran to nonpriority. After placing it on the back burner most times during the semester (and with a professor who randomly stoked the front flames), I had to read furiously to catch up.
Enter this textbook.
It teaches the most important concepts in secured transactions and bankruptcy clearly, step-by-step, with plenty of insightful examples, and with legitimate humor (I straight-up chortled at some of the jokes).
The writing itself is plain and clear. I only had to stop and reread a passage I didn't understand a few times. Every time a relatively complex topic is introduced, the authors provide an example that showcases the mechanics remarkably well. The authors make connections between the UCC sections to demonstrate how they work
Whenever the UCC doesn't make sense on its own, the authors bring in outside context to make itself understood. Cases primarily serve to underline the chapter's point rather than tasking you with searching through bad judge writing to extract the law.
The authors provide their views/criticisms, but it's couched. You know they're making an argument outside of the objective knowledge the reader must obtain. Their assessments seem reasonable or, at least, unobtrusive. The chapters actually build on themselves.
Most importantly for me, each assignment ends with practice problems that sufficiently tasked me with recalling what I read. Moreover, the problems required me to answer tough questions by extrapolating and reasoning from the assignment (ie some lawyer skills). While there is no answer key (a very frustrating aspect of my professor's lecturing style), the authors provide UCC cites at the end of each prompt. If I read those cites, I gathered enough of the answer to tell if I was right.
It also avoids other law textbook pitfalls: it does not ask vague philosophical questions a nonpractitioner could not possibly answer ("do you see why?" is a triggering phrase for me). It does not assume knowledge of outside areas of law. If a concept requires understanding of a property concept, the authors get in → explain the property concept quickly and succinctly → then return to the secured transaction narrative.
This has been one of the few textbooks that have added value to my law school experience. I will be keeping it (and perhaps rereading portions) in the future.
First, some context:
My professor was junk. He jumped from topic to topic at random. He assigned no readings, but then 6 readings at random. His stories were mainly unhelpful. He would "review" the problems by spitballing half an answer, but then move onto more random lecturing without finishing them.
The UCC is junk. While it is more comprehensive and consistent compared to other statutes I've read (the Internal Revenue Code is, in every sense, a monster), I still found the UCC hard to understand without outside context.
My own study habits were junk. In every semester, I end up triaging my energy and study time to the most immediate-need classes. I assigned SecTran to nonpriority. After placing it on the back burner most times during the semester (and with a professor who randomly stoked the front flames), I had to read furiously to catch up.
Enter this textbook.
It teaches the most important concepts in secured transactions and bankruptcy clearly, step-by-step, with plenty of insightful examples, and with legitimate humor (I straight-up chortled at some of the jokes).
The writing itself is plain and clear. I only had to stop and reread a passage I didn't understand a few times. Every time a relatively complex topic is introduced, the authors provide an example that showcases the mechanics remarkably well. The authors make connections between the UCC sections to demonstrate how they work
Whenever the UCC doesn't make sense on its own, the authors bring in outside context to make itself understood. Cases primarily serve to underline the chapter's point rather than tasking you with searching through bad judge writing to extract the law.
The authors provide their views/criticisms, but it's couched. You know they're making an argument outside of the objective knowledge the reader must obtain. Their assessments seem reasonable or, at least, unobtrusive. The chapters actually build on themselves.
Most importantly for me, each assignment ends with practice problems that sufficiently tasked me with recalling what I read. Moreover, the problems required me to answer tough questions by extrapolating and reasoning from the assignment (ie some lawyer skills). While there is no answer key (a very frustrating aspect of my professor's lecturing style), the authors provide UCC cites at the end of each prompt. If I read those cites, I gathered enough of the answer to tell if I was right.
It also avoids other law textbook pitfalls: it does not ask vague philosophical questions a nonpractitioner could not possibly answer ("do you see why?" is a triggering phrase for me). It does not assume knowledge of outside areas of law. If a concept requires understanding of a property concept, the authors get in → explain the property concept quickly and succinctly → then return to the secured transaction narrative.
This has been one of the few textbooks that have added value to my law school experience. I will be keeping it (and perhaps rereading portions) in the future.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews