Amongst the most controversial legal theories of the past two centuries, the Reasonable Expectation of the Insured Doctrine has its advocates and its adversaries. A frequent topic of legal commentators, the REI Doctrine continues to defy clear definition and is not even universally understood. In fact, recent cases have rejected the very existence of the doctrine.

This CLE course will delve right into the heart of the controversy with a thorough explanation of the REI Doctrine and a review of how a little-known, altered version of it may assist the courts in insurance coverage disputes. The course will cover the origin of the doctrine and the various ways states have interpreted and applied it with a state-by-state breakdown of relevant cases. The course will review the justifications and rationale in support of the REI Doctrine as well as criticism stretching back over forty years. In addition, the course will present four entirely different variations and explain how recent trends in state applications give us an inkling of where we’re headed and how that differs from what our goal should be.