Civil Procedure: A Guide for the Busy 1L: Home
This guide provides information about a variety of electronic and textual resources that can help you succeed in your first year civil procedure class.
Last Updated: Feb 19, 2024 11:02 AM
CALI Lessons
CALI lessons allow you to work through issues in civil procedure in an interactive format in which you answer questions and explain your reasoning. If you are confused or have questions about an issue, a CALI lesson may provide a quick way to test and improve your knowledge.
Here are a few Civil Procedure Lessons that are helpful for 1Ls. A complete list of Civil Procedure Lessons is available at the CALI website.
- Diversity Jurisdiction This lesson is designed to help students understand the basic principles of diversity and alienage jurisdiction in the federal district courts. It examines both the constitutional authority for diversity and alienage jurisdiction, U.S. Const. Art. III, § 2, and the statutory provisions that bestow diversity and alienage jurisdiction on the federal district courts, 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a)(1)-(a)(3). It consists of both text and explanatory problems.
- Demurrers and Judgments on the Pleadings The student is given sets of pleadings in civil cases and asked to identify issues that would be raised on a demurrer or motion for judgment on the pleadings. Although the case is set in a hypothetical code pleading state, the exercise also deals with motions to dismiss or for judgment on the pleadings under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The background reading contains all the information about code pleading that the student needs to know in order to do the exercise.
- The Erie Doctrine 1: The Basics The Erie Doctrine has befuddled Civil Procedure students for decades, but this lesson will take you through the basics: Why is there an Erie Doctrine? When does it apply? How does it apply? How do you tell the difference between substantive and procedural law?
- An Interpleader Primer As its name implies, this lesson is designed to give the student an introduction to the subject of interpleader. The lesson briefly describes the concept of interpleader and some of the historical limitations on the remedy, but its focus is on interpleader under the federal statute and Rule 22. The lesson introduces the various procedural issues involved--such as subject matter jurisdiction, personal jurisdiction and venue--and highlights the differences between statutory and rule interpleader on these subjects. The lesson also contains a segment on the problem presented in State Farm v. Tashire--enjoining other pending actions. The lesson requires the student to use the relevant statutes and rules, which are included in the lesson.
- Rule 50 - Judgment as a Matter of Law This lesson is about Rule 50 motions for judgment as a matter of law. The lesson is designed to walk you through the language and elements of the Rule.
- Venue This lesson teaches and reviews the concept of venue, both generally and under federal law. There is also a brief discussion of venue under state law and common law. Learning outcomes On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to: 1. Analyze venue in federal court using the general federal venue statute. 2. Explain some common special situations in which the general statute does not provide the answer. 3. Explain that the analysis of venue statutes other than the general venue statute may be unexpected and require creative arguments.
- Transient Jurisdiction, General Jurisdiction, and Domicile This is a lesson on two types of personal jurisdiction: transient and general. This lesson also covers the important related topic of domicile. Learning Outcomes On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to: 1. Define the legal concept of domicile. 2. State the holding of Pennoyer v. Neff. 3. Define transient jurisdiction. 4. Define general jurisdiction. 5. Distinguish general from transient jurisdiction. 6. Analyze a problem for domicile issues.
- Preclusion This exercise is in three parts. First, the student surveys the basic law of preclusion (both claim preclusion and issue preclusion) to test and to solidify understanding of the area. The questions explore the elements of the doctrines, such as the requirements of a final judgment and necessary decision of an issue, as applied to various fact situations. Hypertext is available at all times for quick review or checking of the elements. The second part of the exercise becomes more complex as it turns to heavy emphasis on the policies behind issue preclusion. The student analyzes each fact situation from two perspectives: Blackletter Bart, who takes a rule-bound approach to issue preclusion, and Functional Felicia, who takes a policy-oriented approach to issue preclusion. Third, the student answers questions developing the abandonment by the courts of the requirement of mutuality for issue preclusion. Both defensive collateral estoppel and offensive collateral estoppel, from the perspectives of both the plaintiff and the defendant, are analyzed.
- Summary Judgment under Rule 56 This lesson teaches the basic elements of summary judgment under Rule 56. Learning Outcomes On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to: 1. Define the purpose of summary judgment. 2. Explain the standards used to decide summary judgment motions. 3. Explain the procedures followed by the parties and the court in making and deciding motions for summary judgment.
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are available from the following online sources:
Civil Procedure Study Aids
Hornbooks and study aids provide additional perspectives and clarifications to your assigned reading. Do not rely on them exclusively.
Unless otherwise noted, all materials below can be found in the Law Library's Study Aids Collection, which is located on the 7th floor of the Law Library.
Acing Civil Procedure by
Softbound - New, softbound print book.
Call Number: KF8841 .S654 2019 (Law Study Aids)ISBN: 9781642427011Publication Date: 2019-06-10
Black Letter Outline on Civil Procedure 12th ed. by
This outline summarizes the black-letter rules of civil procedure. It covers general considerations, litigating step-by-step, authority to adjudicate, complex litigation, governing law, and former adjudication. It allows students to understand how their course materials fit together, doing so by conveying a conception of civil procedure-the relationships among the ideas and the law that constitute the subject. This book is carefully designed and written as a study aid in preparing for classes and as a review aid in studying for examinations, containing all the many special features that characterize the highly successful Black Letter Series of books, such as a glossary and sample examination questions and answers.
Call Number: Online- West Study Aids databaseISBN: 9781647083441Publication Date: 2020-10-22
Examples and Explanations for Civil Procedure 8th ed. by
A favorite classroom prep tool of successful students that is often recommended by professors, the Examples & Explanations (E&E) series provides an alternative perspective to help you understand your casebook and in-class lectures. Each E&E offers hypothetical questions complemented by detailed explanations that allow you to test your knowledge of the topics in your courses and compare your own analysis. Here's why you need an E&E to help you study throughout the semester: Clear explanations of each class topic, in a conversational, funny style. Features hypotheticals similar to those presented in class, with corresponding analysis so you can use them during the semester to test your understanding, and again at exam time to help you review. It offers coverage that works with ALL the major casebooks, and suits any class on a given topic. The Examples & Explanations series has been ranked the most popular study aid among law students because it is equally as helpful from the first day of class through the final exam.
Call Number: KF8841 .G58 2018 (Law Study Aids)ISBN: 9781454894025Publication Date: 2018-01-22
Civil Procedure in a Nutshell by
Rules of civil procedure govern everything that happens outside of criminal proceedings. This Nutshell provides a road map to navigating civil procedure rules and helps build a foundation for understanding the overall picture. Topics discussed include: jurisdiction, venue, and other court-selection issues; pleading, discovery, summary judgment, and other pretrial matters; adjudication, judgments, and appeals; multi-party/multi-claim proceedings, including class actions and multidistrict litigation; plus standing, the Erie doctrine, arbitration, and other important procedural issues. The new edition covers all the subjects dealt with in today's civil procedure courses, whether four or five or six hours in length.
Call Number: Online - West Study Aids databaseISBN: 9781685610142Publication Date: 2022-08-08
Civil Procedure 26th ed. by
The most trusted name in law school outlines, Emanuel Law Outlines were developed while Steve Emanuel was a student at Harvard Law and were the first to approach each course from the point of view of the student. Invaluable for use throughout your course and again at exam time, Emanuel Law Outlines are well-correlated to all major casebooks to help you to create your own outlines. Sophisticated yet easy to understand, each guide includes both capsule and detailed explanations of critical issues, topics, and black letter law you must know to master the course. Quiz Yourself QandAs, Essay QandAs, and Exam Tips give you ample opportunity to test your knowledge throughout the semester and leading up to the exam. Every title in the series is frequently updated and reviewed against new developments and recent cases covered in the leading casebooks. Emanuel Law Outlines provide a comprehensive breakdown of the law, more sweeping than most, for your entire study process. For more than thirty years, Emanuel Law Outlines have been the most trusted name in law school outlines. Here s why: Developed by Steve Emanuel when he was a law school student at Harvard, Emanuel Law Outlines became popular with other law students and spawned an industry of reliable study aids. (Having passed the California bar as well, Steve Emanuel is now a member of the New York, Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia bars.) Each Outline is valuable throughout the course and again at exam time. Outline chapters provide comprehensive coverage of the topics, cases, and black letter law covered in the course and major casebooks, written in a way you can easily understand. The Quiz Yourself QandA in each chapter and the Essay QandA at the end provide ample opportunity to test your knowledge throughout the semester. Exam Tips alert you to the issues that commonly pop up on exams and to the fact patterns commonly used to test those items. The Capsule Summary an excellent exam preparation tool provides a quick review of the key concepts covered in the course. The comprehensive coverage is more sweeping than most outlines. Each Emanuel Law Outline is correlated to the leading casebooks. Every title is frequently updated and reviewed against new developments and recent cases covered in the leading casebooks. Tight uniformity of writing style and approach means that if you use one of these guides, you can be confident that the others will be of similar quality.
Call Number: KF8841 .C53 (Law Study Aids)ISBN: 9781454840886Publication Date: 2018
Civil Procedure, 2011 by
This book will analyze legal procedure as part of a complicated interaction between private ordering and public intervention. Modern society brings people together in a variety of settings and injects an active state presence into all manner of everyday activities. Inevitably there are disputes. Yet, these disputes settle all around us, based on social norms or simply an understanding of what is right and what is wrong; what is contestable and what is not. This private ordering of responsibility occurs against a backdrop, sometimes but certainly not always invoked, of what might occur were the matter to be taken to the more costly system of public dispute resolution. In this sense, disputants outside the legal system are said to be bargaining in the shadow of the law. For those who cannot privately order their disputes, there are two public interests. The first is to provide a public resolution such that future similarly situated disputants may be better able to anticipate what are the likely outcomes should they proceed to litigation. The second is to provide finality so that the disputants may get on with their affairs. The central thrust of this book will be to examine the overall structure of public dispute resolution through six basic concepts: rudimentary fairness and the trade off between equity and efficiency; defining the parameters of a dispute in terms of the presentation of issues and the obtaining of information; defining the scope of the dispute in terms of parties, particularly as the judicial system confronts increasingly complex litigation; defining the power of the courts; securing finality; and the costs of procedure.
Call Number: KF8840 .I87 2012ISBN: 978-1609300364Publication Date: 2011-11-17
Civil Procedure, 2014 by
Emanuel CrunchTime provides the right information, in the right format, at the right time to prepare for exams. Based on the trusted Emanuel Law Outlines developed by a Harvard law student (while he was in law school), Emanuel CrunchTime skillfully employs flow charts so you can walk step-by-step through the major principles and topics in the course in a pattern that can be used to analyze any exam question. Abundant tips and ample review features help you approach the final with confidence. The Capsule Summary allows you to quickly review key concepts, and you can test your knowledge by working through the many Short-Answer QandA s. CrunchTime lets you practice your essay exam skills as well. Exams Tips based on hundreds of past law school and bar exam questions recap the legal issues commonly tested. CrunchTime study aids structure the maximum amount of information you can learn in the last week before exams. Developed for students by a Harvard law student (while he was in law school), Emanuel CrunchTime titles provide the trusted guidance of Emanuel Law Outlines in a tighter, briefer format for quick review at exam time. Flow Charts walk you through a series of yes/no questions that can be used to analyze any question on the exam. The Capsule Summary allows you to quickly review key concepts. You can test your knowledge by working through the ample Short-Answer QandA s, which are organized by topic. Exams Tips often based on hundreds of past law school and bar exam questions recap the legal issues commonly tested on exams for you. They explore fact patterns typically used to test those issues. CrunchTime allows you to practice your essay exam skills by answering questions asked on past exams. Flowcharts help you craft compelling essays, and you can compare your answers to the samples provided. CrunchTime aids structure the maximum amount of information you can learn in the last week before exams. Uniform in writing style and approach, you can be confident that any title in the series is of consistent quality. Every title is frequently updated and reviewed against new developments and recent cases covered in the leading casebooks.
Call Number: KF8841 .E524 2015ISBN: 978-1454840923Publication Date: 2014-09-26
The Glannon Guide to Civil Procedure by
The proven Glannon Guide is a user-friendly study aid to use throughout the semester as a great supplement to (or substitute for) classroom lecture. Topics are broken down into manageable pieces and are explained in a conversational tone. Chapters are interspersed with hypotheticals like those posed in the classroom that include analysis of answers to ensure thorough understanding. Additionally, "The Closer" questions pose sophisticated hypotheticals at the end of each chapter to present cumulative review of earlier topics. More like classroom experiences, the Glannon Guide provides you with straightforward explanations of complex legal concepts, often in a humorous style that makes the material stick. The user-friendly Glannon Guide is your proven partner throughout the semester when you need a supplement to (or substitute for) classroom lecture. The material is broken into small, manageable pieces to help you master concepts. Multiple-choice questions are interspersed throughout each chapter (not lumped at the end) to mirror the flow of a classroom lecture. Correct and incorrect answers are carefully explained; you learn why they do or do not work. You can rely on authority; the series was created by Joseph W. Glannon?Harvard-educated, best-selling author of, among other legal texts, Examples & Explanations; Civil Procedure, now in its sixth edition. "The Closer" poses a sophisticated problem question at the end of each chapter to test your comprehension. A final "Closing Closer" provides you practice opportunity as well as a cumulative review of all the concepts from earlier chapters. You can check your understanding each step of the way. More like classroom experiences, these Guides provide straightforward explanations of complex legal concepts, often in a humorous style that makes the material stick.
Call Number: KF8841 .G59 2013ISBN: 978-1454827467Publication Date: 2013-07-12
Legalese to English by
The first study guide that presents the substantive material necessary to succeed in Civil Procedure through a structured and interactive approach, in simple and straightforward language. Provides a proven plan for students on how to manage their time, what to study and why, in order to help them organize and test their knowledge. Each guide includes:easy-to-follow explanations of tough concepts with clear examples; workbook-style questions and answers; writing exercises focused on exam-type analysis; time-management strategies; and templates for drafting outlines.
Call Number: KF8841 .N36 2011ISBN: 978-0837739120Publication Date: 2011-08-01
Mastering Civil Procedure by
Mastering Civil Procedure provides a thorough and practical guide to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure as well as related doctrines, including personal jurisdiction, subject matter jurisdiction, and claim and issue preclusion. Not only does the book provide a concise and clear road map to civil procedure, it is designed to complement leading civil procedure case books by discussing many of the principal cases from those books. The book benefits from having been written by a civil procedure professor who, prior to teaching, litigated civil lawsuits in federal courts for 14 years with both large and small law firms. This updated edition not only addresses all of the latest amendments to the rules and updates to most major casebooks, but has also been expanded to include numerous flowcharts and other visual aids to help readers master civil procedure.
Call Number: KF8841 .H75 2011ISBN: 978-1594609886Publication Date: 2011-06-01
Principles of Civil Procedure 6th ed. by Call Number: Online-West Study Aids databaseISBN: 9781647083458Publication Date: 2020-10-29
A Short and Happy Guide to Civil Procedure by
Of all the first-year subjects, Civil Procedure is the most foreign to students’ experience. This book will demystify Civil Procedure. It will explain the doctrine and make it easy to remember. It includes numerous tips for civil procedure exams (as well as regarding law school exams generally). Before you know it, you’ll be part of the hip crowd – the Civ Pro crowd.
Call Number: KF8841 .F74 2014ISBN: 978-0314287274Publication Date: 2014-01-01
Understanding Civil Procedure by
This well-established treatise is premised on the assumption that the key to understanding the principles of civil procedure is to know why: why the principles were created and why they are invoked. The treatise is written to answer these questions as it lays out the basic principles of civil procedure. It also reflects the authors' belief that students of civil procedure can understand and appreciate complex principles when they are clearly presented; teaching civil procedure does not require dumbing it down.
The authors use the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure as a model, but they also refer to different state rules and doctrines where appropriate in order to present a representative cross-section of state models. Although they discuss important civil procedure cases in the text, thus supporting the most widely used civil procedure casebooks using these same cases, they also provide useful references to secondary sources and illustrative cases for the reader who wants to explore further.
Call Number: KF8841 .S54 2013ISBN: 978-0769865188Publication Date: 2013-08-09
Study Aids Online
- West Study Aids databaseOnline access to more than 500 study aids including case briefs, outlines, overviews and exam prep titles. Series include:
Acing Series
Black Letter Outlines
Career Guides
Concepts and Insights
Concise Hornbook Series
Exam Pro Series
Flash Cards
Gilbert Law Summaries
High Court Case Summaries
Law School Legends Audio Series
Law Stories
Legalines
Nutshells
Quick Reviews
Short & Happy Guides
Sum and Substance Audio
Civil Procedure Resources from Koren A/V
The Koren AV Center, located on the Fifth floor of the Law Library, provides audio lectures on Civil Procedure.
Civil Procedure by
This audio lecture covers subject matter jurisdiction, personal jurisdiction, long arm statutes, and constitutional limitations. It also discusses in rem and quasi in rem jurisdiction, service of process, venue, transfer, forum non conviens, removal, waiver, governing law, pleadings, and joinder of claims. Also included are permissive and compulsory joinder of parties, counterclaims and cross-claims, ancillary jurisdiction, impleader, class actions, discovery, pretrial adjudication, summary judgment trial, post trial motions, appeals, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The new edition has references to all the newly restyled Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Call Number: KF8840 .F698 2009ISBN: 978-0314199782Publication Date: 2009-02-09
Audio on Civil Procedure by
Convenient and effective, Sum and Substance Audio Set on Civil Procedure, 7th presents the essentials of civil procedure in a clear, succinct, time-saving format. Includes quick reference indexing, allowing you to quickly locate all topics in the recording, and informed exam tips to help maximize your performance. Sections discuss: clusters of procedure, citizenship, traditional basis of jurisdiction, constitutional principles, illustrative application, federal court jurisdiction, service of process, venue principles, pleading, sanctions, joinder, counterclaims, class actions, discovery, summary judgment, trial, jury trial, posttrial motions, new trial motions, motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, collateral estoppel, and appeals.
Call Number: KF8840 .M55 2010ISBN: 9780314207159Publication Date: 2010-10-14
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