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About the Book

Wills, Trusts, and Estates

Front Cover - Wills, Trusts, and Estates

Eighth Edition

Jesse Dukeminier
late of the University of California, Los Angeles

Robert H. Sitkoff

Harvard University

James Lindgren

Northwestern University

2009. 1,072 pages. ISBN: 978-0-7355-7996-5.
With Teacher's Manual and PowerPoint slides.


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About the Book

Retaining the late Jesse Dukeminier’s signature blend of wit, erudition, insight, and playfulness, Wills, Trusts, and Estates, now in its Eighth Edition, continues to offer interesting cases, well written notes, and a logical organization.

A stellar example of a great casebook, Wills, Trusts, and Estates features:

  • eminently clear presentation of topics
  • comprehensive substantive coverage
  • inspired case selection
  • engaging notes, questions, and problems that connect and highlight legal themes and principles
  • humorous and illustrative cartoons, art, photographs, and other images
  • a detailed Teacher’s Manual that answers every question and problem posed in the casebook and includes comments on material cited in the text, analysis, syllabus notes, sample exams, and teaching suggestions

With new and revised notes, questions, and problems, the carefully updated Eighth Edition explores:

  • New developments in law reform by the ALI and NCCUSL, such as:
    • the 2008 Amendments to the Uniform Probate Code, including clarified inheritance rights for children of assisted reproductive technologies, validation of notarized wills, reformation of wills for mistake, and a reworking of the spousal share
    • the Uniform Power of Attorney Act
    • further progress in the Restatement (Third) of Trusts and Restatement (Third) of Property
  • Ongoing developments in the law, in such areas as:
    • inheritance and marriage rights for same-sex partners
    • the posthumous right of publicity
    • the power of an agent to alter an incompetent principal’s estate plan
    • liberalized rules of trust modification and termination, and of trustee removal
    • standing for donors in suits against the trustees of charitable trusts
    • perpetual trusts and self-settled asset protection trusts
  • Increasingly important topics such as:
    • the movement to cure will execution defects and reform mistakes in wills
    • fiduciary administration and trust investment law
    • will contests, particularly the law of capacity and insane delusion

Co-authors Robert H. Sitkoff and James Lindgren took great care to preserve the voice and spirit of Jesse Dukeminier, while fulfilling the trust and expectation among users for timely and relevant coverage, cases, and note material.