Civil Procedure

3 units

This course is designed to introduce foreign-trained lawyers to the process of U.S. civil litigation, focusing on such topics as the choice of court, the sequence of events in pre-trial and trial practice, and the effect of judgments. In addition, the course is intended to provide students with the skills necessary to read and analyze American judicial decisions and statutes. Besides lecturing, the instructor uses class discussions to teach the material, so students are expected to participate in the discussions and will be called on at random. As a result, students need to be fully prepared before each synchronous (live) class. Although the course is designed for foreign-trained lawyers, students in the MLS program who are candidates for the litigation concentration are welcome to take the course with prior approval. It helps to have some familiarity with litigation prior to taking the course, but that is not a prerequisite.