Raconteur Data Analysis Corporation in Seattle, Washington,offers a job to Trista, who lives in Utah. Tristaorally agrees to work for Raconteur for two years. She moves her family to Seattle and begins work. Three months later, she is fired for no

Question

stated cause. She files a suit against Raconteur for rein-statement or pay. Raconteur pleads the lack of a written con¬tract. In whose favor is the court likely to rule, and why?

Answer 1

The court might conclude that un¬der the doc¬trine of promis¬sory estoppel, Raconteur is estopped from claiming the lack of a writ¬ten contract as a de¬fense. This oral contract may be en¬forced because Raconteur made a promise on which Tristajustifi¬ably relied in mov¬ing, her reliance was foreseeable, and injustice can be avoided only by en¬forcing the promise. If the court strictly enforces the Statute of Frauds, however, Tristamay be without a remedy because a con¬tract that cannot be performed within one year from the day after its making must be in writing to be enforceable.