Organization and Features of Restatements
The Restatements cover broad common law topics, such as contracts or property. Generally, the Restatements have a table of contents and an index. Each Restatement is organized into chapters, titles, and sections. Each section contains:
This is the “black letter” rule of law.
The comments provide explanations of the text of the rules.
The illustrations provide application of the rules in hypothetical factual situations.
The reporter’s notes explain the history of the rules.
These consist of finding aids, secondary sources, and cases citing or commenting on the rules. Some Restatements have more than one appendix covering different time periods or different section numbers. They are supplemented by pocket parts.
The ALI web site has information regarding Restatement projects, ALI membership, history, and institutional processes.
