Civil Law and Civil Procedure
Substantive civil law
Build a reliable map of the Civil Code as modernised: the 2022 reforms on obligations (Book 5), property (Book 3), and the general provisions (Book 1). Know formation of contracts (offer, acceptance, consideration-free consent), validity defects (error, fraud, violence, abuse of circumstances), and the sanction of relative nullity. Understand performance, non-performance, force majeure, and the hierarchy of remedies: forced performance, price reduction, termination, damages.
Family and succession law remain heavily tested: marriage, legal cohabitation, divorce by mutual consent and by irreconcilable differences, filiation, and the reserved portion (réserve héréditaire) with its 2022 reform introducing the protected inheritance share. Know the rules on gifts and their reporting.
Liability: Article 1382 old (now renumbered) fault-based liability, strict liability for defective products, and the 2024 tort reform concepts of causation and damage.
Procedure
Know the Judicial Code: jurisdiction (justice of the peace, court of first instance, enterprise court, labour court), territorial competence, the introductory summons, the role of the judge in conciliation, time limits, and appeal. Distinguish civil from criminal procedure and know the rules on evidence and the burden of proof.
Traps
Do not apply old article numbers without noting renumbering. Distinguish nullity of the contract from nullity of the act. Watch limitation periods (often ten or twenty years, shorter for specific claims).
Worked rule
When a contract is breached, first identify whether performance remains possible; termination requires notice, and damages require proof of damage and causal link.