Ch. 2 Civil Procedure and Alternative Dispute Resolutions

1. State Court System

   Annotations:

   • 1. inferior trial courts 2. general trial courts 3. appeals courts
2. Federal Court System

   Annotations:

   • 1. federal district courts 2. specialized federal courts 3. federal circut courts of appeals  - fig. 14. US Supreme Court

Annotations:

• =Jurisdiction means the power or authority of the Court to hear and decide a given case.

1. Subject Matter Jursidiction

   Annotations:

   • Federal court has limited jurisdiction. SMJ must be exclusive or concurrent
   1. State

      Annotations:

      • cases about private common law and state statues, even about federal law can go to STATE courts
   2. Federal
      1. Exclusive cases

         Annotations:

         • cases that involve any type of federal government body e.g. military, NASA, IRS, copyright, antitrust
      2. Concurrent Cases

         Annotations:

         • = trying to choose between State or Federal court NEEDS either 1. diversity of citizenship - also needs min. of $75,000 in controversy 2. federal question jurisdiction- exists when case "arises under" federal law; e.g. constitution laws or treaties- no amount-in-controversy neededRemoval is made by defendant and typically wants to go  to federal court for unbias judgement
2. In Personam Jurisdiction (JP)

   Annotations:

   • used for fairness over defendant defendant needs to be: - resident or present and served - doing business within state - must have min. contact  *Principle place of business nerve test
   1. Long-arm statue

      Annotations:

      • basis for state to have JP over defendant if there is minimum contact where claim arose
3. In rem Jurisdiction

   Annotations:

   • case against a thing, typically land
4. Venue

   Annotations:

   • court location that is the most convenient place e.g. if accident happen in norfolk, but defendant is resident of VB, then it would be filed in norfolk

1. Adversary System

   Annotations:

   • where parties represent their positions before impartial party concludes the truth of the case
2. Rules of Procedure and Evidence
3. Pleadings

   Annotations:

   • series of formal written statements from each party for dispute purpose: - to narrow issues of suit by elimination of irrelevant facts  - gives general notice
   1. 1. Complaint

      Annotations:

      • filed by plaintiff
      1. 2. Asnwer

         Annotations:

         • defendant files answer either with: - motion to dismiss (end case early) - answer with admission or denial of complaint - nothing => defendant is guilty by default Must answer within given time frame
   2. Joining claims

      Annotations:

      • parties can add new claims if it is relevant to case
   3. joining parties

      Annotations:

      • adding other parties that are relevent to case
   4. class actions

      Annotations:

      • group of people that can be created to fight a common claim purpose: relief and judicial economy requirement:: common injury and manageable class e.g. Wal-Mart vs. Dukes - problems were too broad so it was dismissed
   5. Discovery

      Annotations:

      • =each party provides other party certain relevant information about the case or info that could lead to relevant info. discoveries aren't supposed to damage a case therefore discoveries can commonly lead to objections begins after pleadings completed.  "Information may be subject to discovery even if it would not ultimately be admissible at trial under the legal rules of evidence." types:  - disposition - when one party's attorney interviews the other party or witness about the case - interrogatories - written questions from plaintiff to defendant or vice versa - requests for admissions - one party's demand to deny or admit, in writing, to certain statements within legal time period 
   6. summary judgement

      Annotations:

      • =device for trial by a judge, no jury purpose is to interpret a document requirement: - agreement of parties  - if no agreement, one can sue e.g. parker v. 20th century fox fox changes parker's movie but parker signed contract and didn't want to do new movie and won case because movies weren't equivelent
   7. Pretrial Conference

      Annotations:

      • step before trial judge meets informally with attorneys of both parties to agree on resolutions of certain issues to simplify case it also binds parties for the rest of the case
   8. Trial

      Annotations:

      • happens after discovery and pretrial motions
   9. settlement

      Annotations:

      • happens at anytime of case and must have court approval to make sure trial is fair