Civil Litigation Process and Procedures

by Goldman, Thomas F.; Hughes, Alice Hart

• ISBN13: 9780134831046
• ISBN10: 0134831047
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2018-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

For courses in civil litigation.

Multimedia introduction to civil litigation, from pre- to posttrial
Civil Litigation: Process and Procedures teaches students the skills they need to pursue careers in civil litigation, from the details of the litigation process, to the work of paralegals, to pretrial preparation and posttrial procedures. Throughout the text, the authors integrate video simulations and hands-on activities, some of which lead students to create documents they can include in a professional portfolio. In addition to updated laws and procedures, the 4th edition includes a new Virtual Law Office Experience to help students prepare for the workplace.

Author Biography

Thomas F. Goldman, JD, is an experienced trial attorney who has represented nationally known insurance companies and corporations. He developed the Advanced Litigation Support and Technology Certificate Program at Thomas Edison State College, where he was a member of the Paralegal Studies Program Advisory Board and a mentor. He is Professor Emeritus at Bucks County Community College, where he was a professor of Law and Management, Director of the Center for Legal Studies, and Director of the ABA-approved Paralegal Studies Program.

Professor Goldman is an author of textbooks in paralegal studies and technology, including The Paralegal Professional, in its fifth edition; Litigation Practice: E-Discovery and Technology; Accounting and Taxation for Paralegals; Technology in the Law Office, in its fourth edition; AbacusLaw: A Hands-On Tutorial and Guide; and SmartDraw: A Hands-On Tutorial and Guide. In addition, he is the executive producer of the Paralegal Professional video series, in which he occasionally appears.

An accounting and economics graduate of Boston University and of Temple University School of Law, Professor Goldman has an active international law, technology law, and litigation practice. He has worked extensively with paralegals and has received the Boss of the Year award of the Legal Support Staff Guild. He was elected the Legal Secretaries Association Boss of the Year for his contribution to cooperative education by encouraging the use of paralegals and legal assistants in law offices. He also received the Bucks County Community College Alumni Association Professional Achievement Award.

He has been an educational consultant on technology to educational institutions and major corporations and a frequent speaker and lecturer on educational, legal, and technology issues. He was appointed to the American Association for Paralegal Education Board of Directors in October 2005; there, he served as the founding chair of the Technology Task Force, where he initiated the Train the Trainer program and the Cyber Idol competition.

Alice Hart Hughes, JD, is a practicing attorney and experienced litigator. She is a former Adjunct Professor of Paralegal Studies at Bucks County Community College, where she taught Civil Litigation, Legal Research and Writing, Accounting for Paralegals, Introduction to Paralegal Studies, Negligence, and Family Law. She is the author of Real Estate Law Fundamentals and participated in the production and script writing for the Video Law Office Experience. Mrs. Hughes holds a degree in real estate and finance from Temple University and graduated from Temple University School of Law.

She has practiced civil litigation extensively, working in midsized, multi-office law firms. Her practice is limited to estate planning, administration, and litigation. In 2010, she was appointed to the Pennsylvania Board of Dentistry and lectures on ethical issues in the medical subspecialty of podiatry.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction to Civil Litigation
1. The Paralegal in Civil Litigation
1A. Appendix: Building Your Professional Portfolio and Reference Manual
2. Ethics and Professional Responsibility
3. Litigation Management and Technology

II. Planning the Litigation
4. The Court System, Settlement, and Alternative Dispute Resolution
5. Causes of Actions and Litigation Strategies
6. Evidence
7. Interviews and Investigation in Civil Litigation

III. Documents in Civil Litigation
8. Pleadings: Complaint, Summons, and Service
9. Motions Practice
10. Pleadings: Responses to Complaint

IV. 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

V. Trial of the Case
16. Trial Preparation–Postdiscovery to Pretrial
17. Trial
18. The Electronic Courtroom and Trial Presentation

VI. Posttrial Issues
19. Posttrial Procedures
20. Enforcement of Judgments

Appendices
1. Chapter Opening Case Study
2. Comprehensive Case Study: School Bus-Truck Accident Case Study
3. Supplemental Case Studies