Fred Galves

Professor Fred Galves' Rules of Civil Procedure

This Introduction & Overview to Civil Procedure is the result of over two decades of teaching the Civil Procedure course in law school, each year providing students with new and revised editions of this book as it has developed over time after receiving valuable student feedback each year on how to change, revise, and update the book for optimum understanding and study usage. Each year, the book was provided to students so that they would have a helpful summary and "Roadmap" to the Civil Procedure Course, not only as they were learning the material, but also to use as they prepared for final exams, and eventually the Bar Exam. The goal has been to make this book as concise and accessible as possible, yet still a very thorough, comprehensive, and rich learning source of Civil Procedure Law. Topics include: Judicial Structure (federal and state courts, trial, appellate, and supreme courts, the criminal-civil procedural law distinction); Personal Jurisdiction (long-arm statutes and minimum contacts); Subject Matter Jurisdiction (federal question, diversity, supplemental jurisdiction, removal); Venue; The Erie problem (choice of law and conflict of law); Pleadings (court papers and filings, complaint, answer, reply, motions to dismiss, amendments, default); Complex Litigation -- Joinder of Claims and Parties (claims, counterclaims, cross-claims, permissive and compulsory joinder, impleader, intervention, interpleader, class actions); Discovery (pretrial conferences, initial disclosures, scope of discovery, interrogatories, depositions, production of documents, admissions, medical exams, sanctions, "electronic-discovery"); Resolution without Trial (summary judgment, alternative dispute resolution) the Trial Process (trial and post-trial motions, directed verdict, JNOV, new trial); The Appeal Process (final, adverse ruling, interlocutory appeals, standards of review, timing); and Former Adjudication (claim and issue preclusion/res judicata and collateral estoppel). An excellent study and reference guide for law students and lawyers alike.