Civil Procedure (Spring 2008)

Prof. Rhonda Wasserman

Syllabus

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I. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FEDERAL RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

The Rules Amendment Process – Casebook 185-86 (note 10 only)

NOTE: The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were restyled and amended effective December 1, 2007. For each Rule assigned, be sure to read the restyled Rule.

Joseph Kimble, Lessons in Drafting from the New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure – Wass. Supp. 1-9

The Rules Enabling Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2071-74

Fed. R. Civ. P. 1 & 2

An Introduction to the Pretrial Litigation Process – Glannon 559-68 (optional)

II.  PLEADING: DESCRIBING AND DEFENDING THE DISPUTE

A.  The Historical Evolution of Pleading

Casebook 121-26, 131-34

Fed. R. Civ. P. 7, 8(e)

B.  Describing and Testing the Plaintiff’s Claim

1.  The Complaint

Fed. R. Civ. P. 3, 8(a), 10

First Moves (The Summons and Complaint) – Glannon 569-87

2.  The Problem of Specificity

Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a), 8(d)(1), 12(e), 12(f)

United States v. Board of Harbor Commissioners (D. Del. 1977) – Casebook 134-38

Sample Motion to Strike Impertinent and Scandalous Matter – Wass. Supp. 10-13

3.  Consistency

Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(d)(2) & (3)

4.  Truthfulness

Fed. R. Civ. P. 11

Zuk v. Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Inst. (3d Cir. 1996) – Casebook 143-56

5.  Scrutinizing the Legal Sufficiency of Plaintiff’s Claim

Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6)

Mitchell v. Archibald & Kendall, Inc. (7th Cir. 1978) – Casebook 156-62

Practice Exercise 22 (on Dismissal for Failure to State a Claim) – Glannon 423-27, 432-35 (optional)

6.  Heightened Pleading Requirements

Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a) & 9(b)

Requirements of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act – Casebook 170-73

Note on Tellabs, Inc. v. Makor Issues & Rights, Ltd. (U.S. 2007) - Wass. Supp. 14-16

Swierkiewicz v. Sorema, N.A. (U.S. 2002) – Casebook 177-85

Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly (U.S. 2007) - Wass. Supp. 17-34

Computer Exercise 3 (on the Complaint) – Park & McFarland 87-116 (optional) and http://www2.cali.org//lessons/web/civ01/index.php (optional)

C.  Defendant’s Responses to the Complaint

1.  Pre-Answer Motions Under Rule 12

Casebook 189-91

Fed. R. Civ. P. 7(b), 12

Practice Exercise 18 (on the Motion to Dismiss) – Glannon 321-35 (optional)

Computer Exercise 5 (on Motions to Dismiss and Waiver Under Federal Rule 12) – Park & McFarland 125-41 (optional) and http://www2.cali.org//lessons/web/civ09/index.php (optional)

2.  The Answer

Casebook 199-200

Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(b)-(c)

The Defendants’ Perspective (The Answer and Counterclaim) – Glannon 599-610 & 613 (notes 1-5, 13 & 14)

a.  Admitting or Denying the Averments

David v. Crompton & Knowles Corp. (E.D. Pa. 1973) – Casebook 200-03

b.  Affirmative Defenses

Casebook 204-07

Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(c)

Layman v. Southwestern Bell Tel. Co. (Mo. App. 1977) – Wass. Supp. 35-37

Glannon 610-11 (notes 6-8)

D.  The Reply

Fed. R. Civ. P. 7(a)(7), 8(b)(6), 12(a)(1)(C)

Glannon 612-13 (2d and 3d Άs of note 11)

E.  Amendments to Pleadings

Casebook 214-15

Fed. R. Civ. P. 15

1.  Permission to Amend

David v. Crompton & Knowles Corp. (E.D. Pa. 1973) – Casebook 215-17

Amendments at Trial – Casebook 217-18

Supplemental Pleadings – Casebook 218

2.  Relation Back of Amendments

Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(c)

Swartz v. Gold Dust Casino, Inc. (D. Nev. 1981) – Casebook 218-27

    Practice Exercise 19 (on Amendments to the Pleadings) – Glannon 337-59 (optional)

III. PRECLUSIVE EFFECTS OF JUDGMENTS

Casebook 1092

Res Judicata and Collateral Estoppel – Casebook 1092-94

Final Judgments – Casebook 1094-95

A.  Claim Preclusion or Res Judicata

1.  Same Claim or Cause of Action

Manego v. Orleans Board of Trade (1st Cir. 1985) – Casebook 1095-1107

Other Action Pending – Casebook 1107

Application of Res Judicata to Defendants – Casebook 1107-11

2.  On the Merits

Casebook 1120-21

Rinehart v. Locke (7th Cir. 1971) – Casebook 1121-25

Practice Exercise 25 (on Res Judicata) – Glannon 487-505 (optional)

Practice Exercise 26 (on Res Judicata and the Rules of Joinder) – Glannon 507-19 (optional)

B.  Issue Preclusion or Collateral Estoppel

1.  Same Issue Litigated

Little v. Blue Goose Motor Coach Co. (Ill. 1931) – Casebook 1142-46

Hardy v. Johns-Manville Sales Corp. (5th Cir. 1982) – Casebook 1146-50

Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Sunnen (U.S. 1948) – Casebook 1151-58

2.  Alternative Grounds for Decision

Halpern v. Schwartz (2d Cir. 1970) – Casebook 1158-64

Practice Exercise 27 (on Collateral Estoppel) – Glannon 521-37 (optional)

C.  Persons Bound by Judgment

1.  Parties and Persons in Privity

Casebook 1164

Benson and Ford, Inc. v. Wanda Petroleum Co. (5th Cir. 1987) – Casebook 1164-73

2.  Mutuality of Estoppel

Casebook 1173-74

Parklane Hosiery Co. v. Shore (U.S. 1979) – Casebook 1174-88

Lewis A. Grossman, The Story of Parklane, in Clermont (ch. 11) (optional)

Computer Exercise 11 (on Preclusion) – Park & McFarland 295-320 (optional) and http://www2.cali.org//lessons/web/civ17/index.php (optional)

Practice Exercise 28 (on Nonmutual Collateral Estoppel) – Glannon 539-56 (optional)

IV.  JOINDER OF CLAIMS AND PARTIES: ESTABLISHING THE STRUCTURE AND SIZE OF THE DISPUTE

Casebook 228 (first para.)

A.  Joinder of Claims

1.  By the Plaintiff

a.  Rules Authorization

Casebook 234

Fed. R. Civ. P. 18(a)

b.  Supplemental Jurisdiction

The Penumbra of Federal Judicial Power – Casebook 890-91 (only first two paragraphs)

28 U.S.C. § 1367(a) & (c)

United Mine Workers of America v. Gibbs (U.S. 1966) – Wass. Supp. 38-42

2.  By the Defendant

a.  Rules Authorization

(1)  Counterclaims

Casebook 265-66 (first 3 Άs under heading F)

Fed. R. Civ. P. 13(a)-(f)

Wigglesworth v. Teamsters Local Union No. 592 (E.D. Va. 1975) – Casebook 207-12

Glannon 611-14 (notes 9, 10, 11 (1st Ά only), 12 & text following note 14)

(2)  Cross-claims

Casebook 211-12 (note 6) and 266 (third full Ά and notes 1 & 2)

Fed. R. Civ. P. 13(g)

b.  Supplemental Jurisdiction

Casebook 891-92 (first and second full paragraphs)

28 U.S.C. § 1367(a)-(c)

B.  Permissive Joinder of Parties

1.  Rules Authorization

Casebook 234-35

Fed. R. Civ. P. 13(h), 20, 21

Kedra v. City of Philadelphia (E.D. Pa. 1978) – Casebook 235-37

Insolia v. Philip Morris, Inc. (E.D. Wis. 1999) – Casebook 237-42

Practice Exercise 13 (on Basic Rules of Joinder) – Glannon 235-51 (optional)

2.  Supplemental Jurisdiction

The Pendent Party Problem – Casebook 892 (first and second full paragraphs)

28 U.S.C. § 1367(a)-(c)

Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Allapattah Servs., Inc. (U.S. 2005) – Wass. Supp. 43-63

Practice Exercise 15 (on Supplemental Jurisdiction) – Glannon 265-85 (optional)

C.  Compulsory Joinder of Parties

Casebook 242-43

Fed. R. Civ. P. 19

Janney Montgomery Scott, Inc. v. Shepard Niles, Inc. (3d Cir. 1993) – Casebook 243-58

The Rule 19(b) Determination Whether to Proceed or Dismiss – Casebook 258-60

Temple v. Synthes Corp. (U.S. 1990) – Wass. Supp. 64-65

D.  Impleader

Casebook 260

Fed. R. Civ. P. 14(a) & (b)

Chain Reaction (Ronan Brings in Jones: The Third-Party Complaint) – Glannon 615-26

Clark v. Associates Commercial Corp. (D. Kans. 1993) – Casebook 260-65

Notes 3 & 4 – Casebook 266-67

Practice Exercise 14 (on Joinder of Parties under Rule 14) – Glannon 253-64 (optional)

E.  Interpleader

Casebook 267-68

Fed. R. Civ. P. 22

28 U.S.C. §§ 1335, 1397, 2361

State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. Tashire (U.S. 1967) – Casebook 268-76

Computer Exercise: An Interpleader Primer: http://www2.cali.org//lessons/web/civ21/index.php (optional)

F.  Intervention

Casebook 276

Fed. R. Civ. P. 24

Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. United States Nuclear Regulatory Comm’n (10th Cir. 1978) – Casebook 277-85

The Definition of "Interest" in Rule 24(a)(2) – Casebook 285-88

Practice Exercise 16 (on Jurisdiction v. Joinder: The Difference Between Power and Permission) – Glannon Glannon 287-98 (optional)

Computer Exercise 6 (on Joinder and Supplemental Jurisdiction) – Park & McFarland 143-97 (optional), including

An Exercise in Civil Procedure -

http://www2.cali.org/index.php?fuseaction=lessons.lessondetail&lid=383 (optional)

A Review of Joinder Concepts -

http://www2.cali.org//lessons/web/civ11/index.php (optional);

Joinder of Claims and Parties -

http://www2.cali.org//lessons/web/civ18/index.php (optional)

G.  Class Actions

Casebook 288-89

Fed. R. Civ. P. 23

Notice of Pendency of Class Action – Wass. Supp. 66-72

1.  The Problem of Representation

Casebook 289-90

Hansberry v. Lee (U.S. 1940) – Casebook 291-97

Kamp, The History Behind Hansberry v. Lee – Wass. Supp. 73-86

Jay Tidmarsh, The Story of Hansberry, in Clermont (ch. 6) (optional)

2.  The Standards for Certification

Casebook 297

Walters v. Reno (9th Cir. 1998) – Casebook 297-309

In the Matter of Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Inc. (7th Cir. 1995) – Casebook 309-28

3.  Notice and Opt-Out Rights

Casebook 328-31

4.  Subject Matter Jurisdiction

Class Action Fairness Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1332(d)(1)-(10) & 28 U.S.C. § 1453

V.  PRE-TRIAL DISCOVERY: OBTAINING INFORMATION FOR TRIAL

A.  The Promise and Reality of Broad Discovery

Casebook 332-37

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(1) & (b)(2), 26(d), 26(f), 26(g)

In re Convergent Technologies Securities Litig. (N.D. Cal. 1985) – Casebook 337-42

B.  Mandatory Disclosure

Initial Disclosures – Casebook 342-44

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a), 26(e)(1)

C.  The Discovery Devices

1.  Document Inspection

Casebook 344-46 & 377-80 (on e-discovery)

Fed. R. Civ. P. 34, 30(b)(2), 45(a), 45(c)(2), 45(d)

"‘Erased’ Disks Raise Discovery Issues" – Wass. Supp. 87

"Absence of Proper Guidelines for E-Mail Use Can Create Client Headaches During Discovery" – Wass. Supp. 88-90

"New Federal E-Discovery Rules Take Effect on December 1" - Wass. Supp. 91-95

Sample Request for Production of Documents (Anderson Litigation) – Wass. Supp. 96-101

Sample Response to Request for Production of Documents (Anderson Litigation) – Wass. Supp. 102

2.  Interrogatories

Casebook 346-47

Fed. R. Civ. P. 33

Sample Interrogatories – Glannon 412-22

3.  Depositions

Casebook 347-50

Fed. R. Civ. P. 30, 31, 45(a) & (b)

Sample Notice of Deposition – Glannon 407-08

4.  Medical Examination

Casebook 350-52

Fed. R. Civ. P. 35

Sample Motion for Order to Compel Physical Examination (Anderson Litigation) – Wass. Supp. 103-04

5.  Discovery Sequence and Tactics

Casebook 352-57

Practice Exercise 21 (The Basic Methods of Discovery) – Glannon 387-22 (optional)

D.  Discovery from a Global Perspective

Thomas Main, "Discovery" in Global Issues in Civil Procedure – Wass. Supp. 105-10

E.  Managing the Scope and Burden of Discovery

Fed. R. Civ. P. 29

Davis v. Ross (S.D.N.Y. 1985) – Casebook 357-66

Kozlowski v. Sears, Roebuck & Co. (D. Mass. 1976) – Casebook 366-68

McPeek v. Ashcroft (D.C. Cir. 2001) – Casebook 368-77

F.  Exemptions from Discovery

Casebook 380

Hickman v. Taylor (U.S. 1947) – Casebook 380-91

Richard L. Marcus, The Story of Hickman, in Clermont (ch. 8) (optional)

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(3)

Upjohn Co. v. United States (U.S. 1981) – Casebook 391-401

Practice Exercise 20 (on the Scope of Discovery) – Glannon 361-85 (optional)

G.  Sanctions: Enforcing the Discovery Rules

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c), 26(g)(3), 37, 45(e)

Computer Exercise 7 (on Discovery) – Park & McFarland 199-226 (optional), including

Buffalo Creek: A Game of Discovery -

http://www2.cali.org/index.php?fuseaction=lessons.download&lessonid=civ15&lid=389&ver=win (optional)

Randolph County: A Game of Discovery -

http://www2.cali.org/index.php?fuseaction=lessons.download&lessonid=civ16&lid=390&ver=win (optional)

Woburn: A Game of Discovery -

http://www2.cali.org//lessons/web/civ20/skeleton.html (optional)

VI.  SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Casebook 424-25

Fed. R. Civ. P. 56

A.  The Nature of the Summary Judgment Device: The Concept of Burden Shifting

An Introduction to the Concept of Burden of Proof – Casebook 425-27

Summary Judgment and Judgment as a Matter of Law Contrasted – Casebook 427-28

Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co. (U.S. 1970) – Casebook 428-30

David Currie, Thoughts on Directed Verdicts and Summary Judgments – Casebook 430-35

Celotex Corp. v. Catrett (U.S. 1986) – Casebook 435-49

David L. Shapiro, The Story of Celotex, in Clermont (ch. 9) (optional)

B.  Meeting the Burden of Production: Determining the Appropriate Standard

Casebook 449

Arnstein v. Porter (2d Cir. 1946) – Casebook 450-52

Dyer v. MacDougall (2d Cir. 1952) – Casebook 452-63

Summary Judgment in Defamation Cases – Casebook 463-64

Practice Exercise 22 (on Summary Judgment) – Glannon 427-32, 435-42 (optional)

A Tactical Dilemma (Materials on Summary Judgment) – Glannon 645-66 (optional)

Computer Exercise 8 (on Summary Judgment) – Park & McFarland 227-42 (optional) and http://www2.cali.org//lessons/web/civ13/index.php (optional)

VII.  JUDGMENT AS A MATTER OF LAW

Casebook 606-07

Fed. R. Civ. P. 50

Practice Exercise 23 (on Judgments as a Matter of Law) – Glannon 443-62 (optional)

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