Formalism in Contract Exposition

Georgetown University Law Center Scholarship @ GEORGETOWN LAW, 2017

75 Pages Posted: 9 Feb 2017

See all articles by Gregory Klass

Gregory Klass

Georgetown University Law Center

Date Written: February 2017

Abstract

Formalism in contract law has had many defenders and many critics. What courts need, however, is an account of when formalist approaches work and when they do not. This article addresses that need by developing a general theory of the rules of contract interpretation and construction — contract “exposition.” The theory distinguishes inter alia two forms of formalism. Formalities effect legal change by virtue of their form alone, and thereby obviate interpretation. Examples from contract law include “as is”, the seal and boilerplate terms. Formalities work when parties intend their legal effects, that is, when they perform juristic acts. Plain meaning rules, in distinction, function by limiting the evidence that goes into interpretation. Plain meaning rules thereby give extra weight to the semantic, or literal, meaning of the parties’ words, though not to the full exclusion of the parties’ purpose or intentions, or pragmatic meaning. Like formalities, plain meaning rules are well suited to juristic acts, although they do not presuppose them. Many rules of contract law, however, are designed to attach legal consequences to parties’ nonjuristic acts, when parties might not be thinking about the legal effect of their words. When applying those rules, formalism of either form is more likely to result in erroneous outcomes. After canvassing other factors relevant to the choice between formalist and nonformalist rules of contract exposition, this article applies the theory to critically evaluate how courts determine whether a writing is integrated, an important but understudied component of the parol evidence rule.

Keywords: contract law, interpretation, construction, formalism, parol evidence rule, legal theory, juristic acts, plain meaning

Suggested Citation

Klass, Gregory, Formalism in Contract Exposition (February 2017). Georgetown University Law Center Scholarship @ GEORGETOWN LAW, 2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2913620 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2913620

Gregory Klass (Contact Author)

Georgetown University Law Center ( email )

600 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.georgetown.edu/faculty/klass-gregory.cfm

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