Study

Insurance is a trillion-dollar industry and serves significant social and economic functions across society. Insurance is premised on the fundamental concepts of risk management and risk transfer. Attorneys specializing in a wide variety of practice areas should appreciate the importance of insurance when advising on commercial transactions and seeking to resolve all types of disputes. This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of basic insurance law concepts, particularly in the context of Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance, the most common type of liability insurance maintained by businesses of all sizes and in all industries across the United States. Students will gain a practical understanding of insurance theory, as well as principles of insurance contract interpretation and application, in the context of frequently disputed insurance coverage issues through the perspective of litigated insurance coverage disputes and related case studies. The course will also cover other insurance products, including property, D&O/E&O, commercial transportation, and emerging risk-type products such as cyber and media liability policies.

The final exam will be in the form of a take home writing assignment. Students will be asked to evaluate various insurance coverage issues and prepare an opinion memorandum for a client (12-14 pages; open book/research using Westlaw/Lexis). Students will have at least 10 days to complete the assignment.

Spring 2026

Course Number	Course Credits	Evaluation Method	Instructor
389.01	2	Research and/or analytical paper(s), 15-20 pages Group project(s) Class participation	Richard Nicolaides
Canvas site: https://canvas.duke.edu/courses/74912