Exam Type: In Class

This course provides an introduction to civil procedure. It will examine the law governing civil litigation (mainly in federal court), including (among other things) the circumstances in which courts will exercise jurisdiction, the rules determining what parties and claims are properly included within a case, and the procedures governing fact-finding and judicial decision-making. It will also consider underlying policy and theoretical questions that run through this area of law, such as what kinds of disputes we want courts to resolve, what kinds of procedures will best promote accurate adjudication, and what norms of fairness should matter in the context of civil litigation.