Civil Litigation: Process and Procedures, 2nd Edition

This fully-updated text is designed to build the skill sets students need to succeed as members of today’s civil litigation teams. CIVIL LITIGATION: PROCESS AND PROCEDURES, 2/e clearly presents legal concepts, emphasizing the details of the litigation process, critical thinking, and hands-on exercises that develop practical law office skills. Students will gain real-world procedural skills, master electronic discovery and court rules; learn how to handle ethical challenges in civil litigation practice; and develop a professional employment portfolio. This edition includes 46 video case studies that illustrate each stage of the litigation process, showing the day-to-day activities of the litigation team preparing and trying a civil case in a real world setting. Extensive assignment-related case materials and documents are provided in the text and online.

UNIT ONE: INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL LITIGATION

1. The Paralegal in Civil Litigation

2. Technology in Civil Litigation

3. The Court System

UNIT TWO: INVESTIGATION AND PLANNING THE LITIGATION

4. Client Interviews and Investigation in Civil Litigation

5. Organizing and Managing Civil Litigation

6. Electronic Research

7. Evidence

8. Settlement and Alternative Dispute Resolution

9. Pleadings: Complaint, Summons, and Service

10. Pleadings: Responses to Complaint

UNIT FOUR: FORMAL DISCOVERY METHODS

11. Introduction to Discovery

12. Issues in Electronic Discovery

13. Interrogatories and Requests for Production

14. Depositions

15. Other Forms of Discovery

UNIT FIVE: TRIAL OF THE CASE

16. Trial Preparation–Postdiscovery to Pretrial

17. Trial

18. The Electronic Courtroom and Trial Presentation

UNIT SIX: POSTTRIAL ISSUES

19. Posttrial Procedures

20. Enforcement of Judgments

APPENDIX 1. Case Studies

APPENDIX 2. Glossary of Spanish Equivalents for Important Legal Terms

APPENDIX 3. Internet Resources

Glossary

Case Index

Subject Index