civil procedure i syllabus 2007

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CIVIL PROCEDURE SYLLABUSFall 2007

Professor Cynthia R. Mabry

Office: 309 Houston Hall

Office Telephone: (202) 806-8067Electronic Mail: [email protected] Hours: Mondays/Wednesdays 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

TEXTS: STEPHEN C. YEAZELL, CIVIL PROCEDURE (6th ed. 2004).

STEPHEN C. YEAZELL, FEDERAL RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE (2007 Supp.).

Suggested Gene R. Shreve and Peter Raven-Hansen, Understanding Civil Procedure (3d ed. 2002).

Reading: Joseph W. Glannon, Civil Procedure (4th ed. 2001).

RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE CLASS

NO EATING OR DRINKING IS ALLOWED IN HUSL CLASSROOMS.

1. Class Attendance: Regular and punctual class attendance is important for your thoroughunderstanding of Civil Procedure. According to HUSLs attendance policy, you must not be absent

from more than twenty-five percent of classes and you must arrive on time and be present during the

entire time that the class is in session.

2. Seating Chart: Please select a seat where you will be comfortable for the entire semester. I will

circulate a seating chart on the third day of class so that you may select your assigned seat for the

remainder of the semester.

3. Class Participation and Civility: I call on students randomly and those who volunteer. I urge each

member of the class to voluntarily participate in class discussions and to listen, with respect, to yourclassmates' remarks. On the rare day that you are unable to prepare for class, come to my office

(before class begins) and request a waiver from class participation by leaving a note on the memo

board outside my office.

4. Reading Assignments: I will announce the reading assignments, on a weekly basis, in the orderin which they appear on the attached syllabus. As needed, I may make minor additions or deletions

to the attached syllabus, so do not read farther ahead than twenty pages per class.


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5. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Supplement and Cases: The applicable rules, statutes, and

Constitutional provisions for each topic are cited in the syllabus. Before class, read the rule, statute,

or Constitutional provision which corresponds to the information in your textbook. Bring the 2007Supplement and your casebook to every class. Cases that interpret the rules of procedure are in your

casebook and in the 2007 Supplement. To prepare for class discussion and participation adequately,

you should brief each of the assigned cases and read the accompanying material in the casebook and

in the Supplement.

6. Exercises: Throughout the semester, we will discuss an actual case. To assist you in analyzing

and interpreting rules of procedure, you will have additional assignments based on that case.

7. Final Examination: I will not administer a mid-term examination. However, throughout the

semester, I will distribute several written problems to demonstrate my testing style and to demonstratehow students should answer Civil Procedure examination questions. At the end of the semester,

there will be an open-book (2007 Supplement only) final examination. The examination will consist

of at least one essay question and multiple-choice questions. In preparation for the examination, you

ma write an information b hand into the Su lement. However, ou ma not t e, ta e, sta le,glue or otherwise append any material other than index tabs to or inside the Supplement.

ADA ACCOMMODATION

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DISCUSSION TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

(Read all notes unless specific notes are indicated.)

I.

II.

III.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION TO THE ADVERSARY PROCESS

pp. 1-6, 10-12, 15-19,

21-22, 23-24, 27,

28 -31, 34-35, 55-56(skip notes and cases)

PLEADING CLAIMS UNDER THE FEDERAL RULES

A. Stating a Sufficient Claim (Rule 8(a), (e)) pp. 329-30; 331 n.3a;341-44; 344 n.1; 349-54

ski notes/read cases

B. Ethical Limitations

(Rule 11)

C. Closely Scrutinized Claims

(Rule 9(a)-(c), (g))

pp. 354-65 (all notes)

pp. 365-71 (notes 3-6)

D. Allocating the Burdens

E. Drafting Complaints(Rules 7(a), 10, 38(b)-(d), 48, 84, Forms 9, 10, 15)

pp. 371-76;

376-77 (notes 3-6)

F. Serving and Filing Complaints (Rules 3, 4, 5) pp. 378 (note 1);

154-59 (all notes)

IV. RESPONDING TO A COMPLAINT pp. 377-78 (notes 2-3)

A. Pre-Answer Motion (Rules 12, 7(b)) pp. 345-53 (all notes);

378-81 (all notes)

B. Answer (Rules 5(d), 8(b)-(e), 9(a), (c)) pp. 378 (note 2-4);391 (note 4)

C. Reply (Rule 7(a)) pp. 392-93

(all notes)

D. Default Judgment (Rule 55) pp. 466-71

(all notes)

V. AMENDMENTS (Rule 15) pp. 393-405

(all notes)

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VI. MODERN DISCOVERY

A. Limitations on Discovery

1. Relevancy (Rule 26(b)(1))

pp. 407-08

408-14

(all notes)

2. Excluded Materials

a. Privileged Information (Rule 26(b)(1))

b. Work Product Doctrine (Rule 26(b)(3))

pp. 414-16

(all notes)

438-46

(all notes)

c. Privacy (Rule 26(c))

d. Claiming Privilege and Work Product (Rule 26(b)(5))

pp. 427-32

(notes 1-4,

6-10)

B. Required Disclosures (Rule 26(a)(1) and 26(f)) pp. 416-18

(all notes)C. Discovery Devices (Rule 26(a)(5), (b)(2) and (e))

pp. 418-21

(all notes)

1. Depositions (Rules 30, 45(b)(1))

2. Interrogatories (Rule 33)

3. Requests for Production and Inspection (Rule 34)

4. Physical and Mental Examinations (Rule 35)

pp. 421-23

(note 1a)

pp. 423-24

(notes 3-5);433-37

(all notes)

5. Requests for Admission (Rule 36) pp. 424-25

(all notes)

D. Expert Information

(Rules 26(a)(2), 26(b)(4))

pp. 446-51

(all notes)

E. Ensuring Compliance (Rules 26(g), 37) pp. 423(notes 1b-d);pp. 425-27

(all notes);451-54;

457-62

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VII. JOINDER

A. Joinder of Claims (Rule 18)

1. Counterclaims (Rule 13)

2. Cross-claims (Rule 13)

pp. 731-34

pp. 734-39(notes 1-2)

Wheeling Downs Race Track and Gaming Ctr.

v. Kovach, 226 F.R.D. 259 (N.D. W.Va. 2004).

B. Joinder of Parties

1. Permissive Joinder (Rule 20) pp. 24-26 (note 1);

742-48 (all notes)

2. Compulsory Joinder (Rule 19)

Becker v. Wabash Natl. Corp.,2007 WL 2285897 (S.D. Tex. 2007).

3. Third-Party Claims (Impleader- Rule 14) pp. 748-53

(notes 1-6)

4. Intervention (Rule 24) pp. 27-28 (all notes);

786-89 (Cohen case);789-91 (all notes)

5. Interpleader (Rules 22, 67)(28 U.S.C. 1335, 1397, 2361)

pp. 785-86;Supp: 338, 348, 400

Aetna U.S. Healthcare v. Higgs,

962 F. Supp. 1412 (D. Kan. 1997).

6. Class Actions (Rule 23) pp. 791-803

(all notes)

VIII. DISPOSITION WITHOUT TRIAL pp. 465-66

A. Involuntary Dismissal (Rule 41(a), (d)) pp. 471-72 (notes 1-2)

B. Voluntary Dismissal (Rule 41(b)) pp. 473-75 (all notes)

C. Summary Judgment (Rule 56)

D. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

pp. 516-24 (notes 1-2);513-16 (all notes)

IX. JUDICIAL MANAGEMENT OF CASES (Rule 16) pp. 526-35 (all notes)

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X.

XI.

OVERVIEW OF THE TRIAL PROCESS

TRIAL MOTIONS AND CHALLENGING

VERDICTS /JUDGMENTS

pp. 39-42

A. Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law (Rule 50)

Coyante v. Puerto Rico Ports Auth.,105 F.3d 17, 17-22 (1st Cir. 1997).

B. Post-trial Motions (Rules 59, 60)

Crowe v. Braxton Tire Co., ,

2007 WL 2156344 (M.D. N.C. 2007).

pp. 723-28

(all notes)

XII. INTRODUCTION TO JURISDICTION pp. 57-60

XIII. PERSONAL JURISDICTION

A. Presence, Consent, and Noticepp. 61-73(all notes)

B. Challenging/Waiving Personal Jurisdiction

C. Constitutionality:Minimum Contacts and Other Activity

pp. 73-75(all notes)

pp. 76-83(all notes)

D. In rem Jurisdiction pp. 83-94

E. Specific Jurisdiction

F. General Jurisdiction

G. Consent/Notice/Service

H. Long-Arm Statutes

pp. 98-125;

113 (note 3)

pp. 125-40;

139-40 (notes 3-4)

pp. 140-52;

144-45 (note 4)

pp. 159-64

(notes 1-5)

XIV. VENUE (28 U.S.C. 133, 1391, 1392) pp. 164-69 (all notes);

Supp: 296-98; 346-47

XV. TRANSFER OF VENUE

FORUM NON CONVENIENS(28 U.S.C. 1404, 1406)

pp. 169-74; 177-78

(all notes);Supp: 349

XVI. SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION pp. 179-81


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A. Article III, 1, 2 1

B. Article I, 8, 9

C. Federal Question Jurisdiction (28 U.S.C. 1331)

Supp: 276

Supp: 272

pp. 181-84; 188-89 (note 8);189-92 (all notes);

Supp: 333

D. Diversity Jurisdiction (28 U.S.C. 1332(a)-(c)(2)) pp. 192-200 (all notes);

202-05 (all notes);

Supp: 333-34

E. Supplemental Jurisdiction (28 U.S.C. 1367) pp. 205-12 (all notes);

Supp: 344; 527-36

XVII.

F. Removal Jurisdiction

(28 U.S.C. 1441, 1446, 1447, 1448)

PRELIMINARY INJUNCTIONS

Miller v. LeSea Broadcasting, Inc.,

896 F. Supp. 889 (E.D. Wis. 1995).

pp. 212-19 (all notes);

Supp: 352-54; 355-57

XVIII. DEFERENCE TO/CHALLENGING JUDGMENTS

A. Claim and Issue Preclusion pp. 45-46; 657-64

B. Full Faith and Credit (28 U.S.C. 1738) Supp: 364-65

XIX.

Dawe v. Capital One Bank,456 F.Supp.2d 236 (D. Mass. 2006).

CHOICE OF LAW pp. 221-27

civil procedure i syllabus 2007

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