Wills, Trusts, and Estates — 7th edition

Aspen has recently released the 7th edition of Wills, Trusts, and Estates now authored by Jesse Dukeminier (Late Maxwell Professor of Law, University of California, Los Angeles), Stanley M. Johanson (Fannie Coplin Regents Professor of Law, University of Texas), James Lindgren (Benjamin Mazur Research Professor of Law, Northwestern University), and Robert H. Sitkoff (Associate Professor of Law, Northwestern University).

Click here to view the dedication to Prof. Dukeminier and book’s table of contents.

In the words of Prof. Sitkoff:

The structure, organization, style, layout, and basic approach of the book remains unchanged.  The task for this revision was updating the book, not rethinking it.  Since the last edition, however, there have been some important new case law and legislative developments concerning, among other things, the inheritance rights of posthumously-conceived children, will execution formalities, reformation of wills and trusts for mistake, domestic and offshore self-settled asset protection trusts, donor enforcement of charitable trusts, the inheritance rights of same-sex partners, and the rule against perpetuities.  In addition, since the last edition the ALI has promulgated new volumes of the Restatements of Trusts and Property; NCCUSL has promulgated the Uniform Trust Code and the new disclaimer act; and Congress gave us the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001.  Hence we have revised the book accordingly, folding these developments into the existing framework.

Some of the interesting and timely new cases include:

a.  Woodward v. Commissioner of Social Security (the Massachusetts posthumous conception case, includes a photo);         

b. Bush v. Schiavo (the Florida Supreme Court’s 2004 opinion in the Terri Schiavo matter, includes a photo); and

c.  Federal Trade Commission v. Affordable Media (the centerpiece of a new section on self-settled asset protection trusts)

The teacher’s manual will soon be made available not only in hardcopy * * * but also electronically via email from the Aspen sales representatives and by CD-ROM.

Complementary examination copies are now available.  Interested faculty should email: legaledu@aspenpublishers.com.