In this course you will learn how to try a civil case in federal court.

There are three required books:

(1) O'CONNOR'S FEDERAL RULES -- CIVIL TRIALS 2014 (Jones McClure Publishing), which I'll refer to as your "Rules Handbook."

(2) Erichson, INSIDE CIVIL PROCEDURE (2d ed. 2012) (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business).

(3) Bocchino & Sonenshein, DEPOSITION EVIDENCE: OBJECTIONS, INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO ANSWER, AND RESPONSES (2005) (National Institute for Trial Advocacy), which I'll refer to as your "Deposition Handbook."

As you can see, I teach this course without a traditional casebook. Instead, I have created 49 "Problems" that pose real-world questions in specific factual settings. Answering those questions will be the principal means by which you'll learn Civil Procedure. We will certainly read some cases in this class, but those cases (and all of the Problems) will be posted on my course web page, which you'll find on the Law School's website when the semester begins. (Specifically, you'll find it among the "Online Course Materials" after clicking on "Academics.") As soon as my course page is up and running, I'll give you the password for gaining access to it.

How will you make use of the three books listed above? The Rules Handbook and the Deposition Handbook will provide specific answers to the questions posed by my Problems. INSIDE CIVIL PROCEDURE will give you a big-picture understanding of every major topic to be covered in this class. As we move through the semester, I'll ask you to read a chapter or an excerpt from INSIDE CIVIL PROCEDURE every time we enter a new section of the course.

For our first class session, please read the two-page Preface in INSIDE CIVIL PROCEDURE.

For our first class session, please also read the following materials in your Rules Handbook:

U.S. Constitution, Article III, section 1, and the first paragraph of section 2 (page1556).

The Rules Enabling Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2071(a) and 2072(a) (pages 1487-88).

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 1 (page 863).

Finally, please scan the table of contents for the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (focusing mainly on page 861), which will give you an overview of their scope.

I look forward to seeing you at our first class session -- on Monday, August 25, commencing at 6:00 p.m. in Room 12.