First Assignment Spring 2026

Welcome to Estates & Trusts!

This course is designed to survey the law relating to the disposition of property upon death through probate, non-probate, and intestate transfers.

Estates & Trusts is one of the most common practice areas, and many of you will write wills and trusts throughout your career. It is also frequently tested on the bar exam, so mastering its fundamentals is a necessity for most of us.

Your syllabus for the course is attached, and your first assignment is to prepare Assignments 1-3 for your first week of classes. In all likelihood, we will not complete all three Assignments in the first week, but my goal is to assign the material as far out as we might go, so that you are always prepared.

1. 1-40 The Power to Transmit Property at Death
2. 41-53 The Mechanics of Succession
3. 53-64 Professional Responsibility

The required text for the course is Sitkoff & Dukeminier, WILLS, TRUSTS, AND ESTATES (11th ed. 2022). This is not the newest version of the textbook, but it is more affordable and sufficiently up to date. Please be sure to get the correct edition.

See you on Monday, January 12th!