Civil Procedure is the study of the constitutional framework as well as the formal modes for processing disputes in federal courts. The course examines the basic concepts of power, fairness, and adjudication (both formal systems and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms), including the relationship between state and federal courts, the nature and roles of the judge, the parties and the attorneys in our adversary system, and the interplay between the efficacy of the rules and the administration of justice. The course exposes students to the role procedure plays in the development of substantive law and prepares them for the procedural issues that arise throughout the curriculum. Depending upon the section assignment made prior to the start of their first year fall semester, day students will take either Civil Procedure (4) or Introduction to Civil Procedure (2) and Civil Procedure II (3).

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