CIVIL PROCEDURE
Professor Gregory Sisk
SYLLABUS – Fall, 2009
Part
One – Forum Selection
I. JUDICIAL
POWER OVER TYPE OF CASE: SUBJECT
MATTER
JURISDICTION
1. Federal
Question Jurisdiction
28 U.S.C. § 1331 (Student’s
Guide to Federal Rules
at 1300)
Casebook 178-183 (through
Note 6)
Supplement: Summary
of Federal Question
Jurisdiction
(1)
2. Diversity
of Citizenship Jurisdiction
28
U.S.C. § 1332(a) – (c) (Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 1300-1301)
Supplement: Mas v. Perry (2-5)
Casebook 201-204
Supplement: Summary
of Diversity of Citizenship
Jurisdiction
(6-9)
3. Supplemental
Jurisdiction
28 U.S.C. § 1367 (Student’s
Guide to Federal Rules
at 1310)
Casebook 204-209 (omit Szendrey-Ramos)
Supplement: Summary
of Supplemental Jurisdiction
(10-11)
4. Removal
of a Case from State to Federal Court
28
U.S.C. § 1441 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules
at 1316-1318)
Casebook 213 (Problem 1 Only)
Supplement: Summary
of Removal Jurisdiction (12-13)
II. JUDICIAL
POWER OVER DEFENDANTS: PERSONAL
JURISDICTION
1. “Minimum
Contacts” Doctrine
Casebook 74-82 (International Shoe)
Casebook 96-105 (World-Wide Volkswagen)
Casebook 105-111 (Asahi)
2. Challenge
and Waiver
Casebook 72-74
Federal
Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b), (h) (Student’s
Guide
to Federal Rules at 334-336)
3. Summary
Supplement: Summary
of Personal Jurisdiction
(15-20)
III. VENUE AND TRANSFER OF VENUE
1. Venue
Casebook 158-160 (omit Dee-K case)
Casebook 163-164
28 U.S.C. §§ 1391(a) to (d)
(Student’s Guide to
Federal
Rules at 1311-1312)
2. Transfer
of Venue
28 U.S.C. §§ 1404, 1406
(Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 1314)
Supplement: Smith
v. Colonial Penn Insurance Co.
(21-23)
Part
Two – The Process of Civil Litigation
I. INTRODUCTION - A SURVEY OF THE CIVIL LAWSUIT
FROM COMPLAINT TO APPEAL
Overview
Class Lecture
II. THE PATH TO TRIAL
A. NOTICE: SERVICE OF PROCESS
Casebook 149-154
Federal Rule of Civil
Procedure 4(a) – (h) (Student’s
Guide to Federal
Rules at 168-171)
B. PLEADING
1. The
Complaint — Stating a Claim :
Casebook
333 (first paragraph only)
Read
FR 7, 8(a), (d), (e) (Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 258, 269, 270-271)
Supplement
: Stessman v. American Black
Hawk Broadcasting (25-28)
Casebook
357-362
Supplement
:
paragraph and notes) (29-31)
Supplement
: Erickson v. Pardus (32-36)
2. The
Complaint — Disfavored Claims :
Read
FR 9(a), (b) (Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 289)
Casebook
364-369
3. Ethical
Limitations :
Read
FR 11 (Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 312-313)
Casebook
375-387
4. Pre-Answer
Motion; Answer; Denials; Affirmative
Defenses; Reply
:
Read
FR 8(b)-(e) and FR 12 (Student’s Guide to
Federal Rules at 269-271, 333-336)
Casebook
387-403
5. Amendment
of Pleadings :
Read
FR 15 (Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 435-436)
Casebook
402-414
C. DISCOVERY
1. The
Basic Limit on Discovery: Relevance
:
Casebook
415-418 (omit Steffan)
Read
FR 26(b)(1) (Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 611-612)
Supplement: Carl Tobias, Congress and the 2000
Federal
Civil Rule Amendments (37-38)
2. Survey
of Discovery Methods :
Skim
FR 26-37 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules)
Casebook
426-437 (skim this material).
Read
FR 26(a) (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules
at 608-611)
Supplement: Carl Tobias, Congress and the 2000
Federal
Civil Rule Amendments (39-42)
3. Work
Product (and Privilege) :
Casebook
439-449
Read
FR 26(b)(3) ((Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 613)
Supplement
: Brown v. Superior Court (43-50)
4. Expert
Information :
FR
26(a)(2), (b)(4) (Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules 609-610, 613-614)
Casebook
449-454
5. Privacy
and Protective Orders:
FR
26(c) (Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 615)
Casebook
454-459
6. Physical
and Mental Examinations :
FR
35 (Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 743-744)
Casebook
459-460
Supplement
: Sarka by Sarka v. Rush Presbyterian
St. Luke’s
7. Controlling
Discovery and Sanctions :
Supplement: Avista Management, Inc. v.
Company (58)
FR
26(c), (f)-(g); 37 (Student’s Guide to Federal
Rules at 615-619, 761-765)
Casebook
460-463 (omit Zubulake)
D. PRE-TRIAL
DISPOSITION
1. Default
Judgment; Voluntary Dismissal;
Involuntary
Dismissal :
FR
55 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules at 925)
Casebook
473-474 (omit Peralta)
Supplement:
Inc. (59-65)
FR
41 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules at 795-796)
Casebook
478-481
2. Summary
Judgment :
FR
56 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules at 937-938)
Casebook
526-535
Supplement
: Slaughter v. Southern Talc Co.
(66-71)
Supplement
:
(72-75)
III. THE TRIAL AND ITS AFTERMATH
A. SETTING
THE STAGE FOR TRIAL
The Pre-Trial Conference :
FR
16 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules at
462-465)
Supplement
: Hyperphase Technologies v
Microsoft Corp.
(77)
Casebook
546-549
B. DIRECTED
VERDICT, JUDGMENT NOTWITH-
STANDING THE VERDICT, AND
JUDGMENT AS
A MATTER OF LAW
FR
50 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules at
861-862)
Casebook 551-556,
598-609
C. MOTION
FOR NEW TRIAL
FR
59 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules at 993)
Casebook
609-617
D. JUDGMENTS AS A MATTER OF LAW, NEW TRIALS,
AND
SUMMARY JUDGMENT — REVIEW AND
SUMMARY
Review
FR 50, 59
Supplement: Summary of Motions Challenging the
Sufficiency
of the Evidence (79-86)
E. POST-JUDGMENT
RELIEF (May Be Omitted if Time
Does
Not Allow
FR
60 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules at
1006)
Supplement
: Rozier v. Ford Motor Co. (87-95)
IV. COMPLEX LITIGATION
A. JOINDER
OF CLAIMS
FR 13 and 18
(Student’s Guide to Federal Rules
at 405-406, 489)
Casebook
737-749
B. JOINDER
OF PARTIES
1. Joining
of Plaintiffs and Defendants :
FR
20 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules at 505)
Casebook
749-755
2. Third
Party Claims :
FR
14 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules at 424-425)
Supplement: Watergate Landmark Condo. Unit
Owners Ass’n v. Wiss, Janey,
Elstner Associates
(97-99)
Supplement: Amco Construction v.
Casebook
761-770
3. Compulsory
Joinder :
FR
19 (Student’s Guide to Federal Rules at 493-494)
Casebook
773-780 (begin with Note 6 on 773)
C. SUMMARY
OF JOINDER OF CLAIMS AND PARTIES
Supplement: Chart of Joinder of Claims and
Parties (103-104)