It's increasingly hard to justify making students pay exorbitant casebook prices, so I decided to prepare my own materials for ConLaw this year. It's lots of work, but will save my students (collectively) over $15,000. 1/
Going without a casebook means less note material, and more lightly edited cases, but avoids the need to require a $250 casebook. I hope my students think that's a good trade (and I'd argue less case editing has pedagogical benefits of its own). 2/
Interestingly enough, when I told casebook publishers I couldn't justify requiring a $250 or $275 casebook, none offered a discount to keep my business. Given low marginal costs of books, I might've thought some would be willing to deal. No dice. /3
The materials I've put together will no doubt have flaws, and will need to be supplemented or revised in the future, but once they're together, I can't see going back. The fixed costs have been paid. /4
So in my case, publishers have not only given up the revenue from this year's class, they've likely lost the revenue from my 70+ student ConLaw classes (>$10K/year even if books discounted or resold) in perpetuity. /5
And if I ever decide to share or license my materials, it won't be anywhere near what casebook publishers seek to charge. I'm not alone, so I suspect their business model is not long for this world. 6/6
