Pre-Trial Civil Litigation (R. Bort*n)

This course is designed to acquaint students with pre-trial litigation practice in typical civil commercial cases. We will cover pleadings; written discovery (including interrogatories, document requests, and requests for admissions); preparing for, taking, and defending depositions; making and opposing motions (including preliminary injunctions, demurrers, compelling discovery, and summary judgment); and oral argument of motions. We will also discuss strategies, settlement considerations, client relations, and other topics arising in typical litigation practice. There will be substantial written work involving the drafting of motions, and also including some drafting of pleadings and discovery. Materials for a hypothetical lawsuit will be distributed, and students will play the roles of attorneys representing the parties, and will carry out pre-trial preparation of the case. Instructors are experienced litigation attorneys who will emphasize in-class practice based on serious out-of-class preparation.