Carl Circo, the Ben J. Altheimer Professor of Legal Advocacy at the U of A School of Law, noticed there were few resources for construction law courses, so he decided to take action.
Circo developed an open-access website for professors and students of construction law on the legal aspects of the design and construction industries. A law school faculty member since 2003, Circo says there’s a gap between construction law courses and quality teaching materials. He wants his website to fill that gap.
“I have long believed that the legal academy has ignored the construction industry,” Circo said. “It makes up an enormous part of the global economy but doesn’t get much attention.”
The constructionlawed.org website includes digital text for a law school course and a wide range of related materials, including course guides and syllabi, for both law school use and for related programs such as architecture, engineering and construction management programs.
“Architecture and engineering are very interested in the legal aspects of construction,” Circo added. “Construction managers need to know.”
Circo said about 30 law schools in the United States offer construction law courses, and most are taught by part-time faculty.
“My goal is to enhance the stature of construction law in the academy,” Circo added.
Circo teaches construction law, real estate transactions, property, literature and law, and interviewing, counseling and negotiating. He also teaches legal aspects of construction for the U of A College of Engineering’s Master of Science in Construction Management program. He is a fellow in the American College of Construction Lawyers and serves as co-chair of the Education/Professors Task Force. In addition, he is a fellow in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and a member of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law and a member of the Forum’s Division 11 (In-House Counsel) Steering Committee.
He has authored numerous articles and materials on construction law, including his book, Contract Law in the Construction Industry Context.
