Civil Procedure
LAW 608 | 4 Hours
A survey and evaluation of the stages of a civil lawsuit: (1) the preliminary stage, including considerations relevant to choosing litigation over self-help, private settlement, or arbitration, to identifying and choosing among available forums, and to acquiring jurisdiction over parties; (2) the pleading stage, including familiarization with the procedures and devices relating to commencement of an action, service of process, and motion practice before trial; (3) the discovery stage, encompassing familiarization with the procedures and devices available to the parties to inform themselves fully of the evidence and sources of evidence relevant to the lawsuit; (4) the trial stage, including familiarization with the pre-trial conference, the steps of the trial process from voir dire through the entry of judgment, and the motions available at and after trial; and (5) the appeal stage, including an examination of the concept of appealability, a survey of alternative means of review, and an introduction to the rules on appeal.