CIVIL PROCEDURE

FALL QUARTER 2009

Professor Margaret Y.K. Woo

Assigned Texts:

1. Stephen Yeazell, Civil Procedure (Seventh Edition) (assignments noted by

“CP__”). ISBN 9780735569256

2. Stephen Yeazell, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 2009 Statutory Supplement

containing the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (noted as “FR___”) and Forms,
Statutes (noted as “28 U.S.C.§___”), and the United States Constitution (noted as
“U.S. Const.___”). ISBN 978073557949

3. Gerald Stern, The Buffalo Creek Disaster (noted as “BC”). ISBN 0-394-72343-0

Recommended Texts:

1. Steve Subrin & Margaret Woo, Litigating in America: Civil Procedure in Context
(Aspen Publishing, 2006) ISBN 9780735552661

2. Joseph Glannon, Civil Procedure: Examples and Explanations, 6th ed., (Aspen
Publishing, 2009). ISBN 9780735570337

Class attendance is mandatory, and class participation is encouraged. My office hours

will be Tu. & Th.3:30 to 4:30. I strongly encourage each of you to meet with me at least
once this semester. My office address is 32 Cargill, e-mail: m.woo@neu.edu. Your final
evaluation will be based on a combination of class participation, satisfactory completion
of a series of exercises and the final exam.

Date Topic Assignment

9/3 I. Overview of Procedure BC 1-197

(10:30-12 p.m.) Please skim U.S. Const. Art.
III; 28 U.S.C. 1332

9/4 Overview of Procedure (cont.) CP 1-12, BC 197-303

(12:30–2) Please skim FR 8, 12, 26(b),
56
9/7 No Class – Labor Day

9/8 II. Pleading

A. Historical Perspectives CP 333-344

9/10 B. Stating a Claim CP 17-20, 344-357

FR 1, 2, 7-10

1
 [BC Complaint]

C. Specificity CP 357-369, Supp.417-18

FR 9

9/14 D Burdens of Proof CP 370-375, Supp. 418

E. Lawyer Ethics CP 13-17, 375-387, 660 n.4

FR 11

9/15 F. Responding to Complaint CP 20-25, 387-402

FR 8, 11-12
[rule 12 questions]

9/17 G. Amendments CP 402-414

FR 15

9/21 H. Permissive Joinder of Claims CP 737-749

FR 13, 18

9/22 J. Permissive Joinder of Parties CP 25-28, 749-760,

Supp. 445
FR 14, 17, 20
[joinder questions]

9/24 Review Quiz I Review Quiz I

9/28 No Class -Yom Kippur

9/29 III. Remedies

A. Post-Judgment Remedies CP 261-291
FR 57, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201-
2202

10/1 B. Attorney’s fees CP 291-316

FR 54(d), 68

10/2 C. Provisional/Pre-Judgment CP 316-331

(Rescheduled) Remedies FR 65,
(1:30 to 3) U.S. Const. Amend. XIV

10/5 IV. Discovery and the Adversary System

A. Discovery Methods CP 28-33, 415-438
FR 26-37

10/6 B. Limitations on Discovery: CP 439-449

2
 Privilege & Work Product

10/8 Experts & Privacy CP 449-460

[BC discovery prob.]

10/12 No Class – Columbus Day

10/13 C. Abuse of Discovery CP 460-472, Supp. 419-29

FR 11, 37, Form 35
V. Avoiding Trial
A. Dismissals CP 473-481
FR 41, 55

10/15 B. Summary Judgment CP 33-38, 526-540 Supp. 431

FR 56
.
10/16 VI. Trial
(Rescheduled) A. Pretrial Conference CP 540-549
(1:30 to 3) FR 16

B. Fact-finders CP 551-560
28 U.S.C. §§ 144, 455, 1861-
67, FR 38, 39, 52

C. Judicial Control of Jury CP 38-42, 598-609

FR 50

10/19 D. Judicial Control (cont.) CP 609-617

FR 59

10/20 Review Quiz II Review Quiz II

10/22 VII. Preclusive Effects of Judgments

A. Claim Preclusion CP 42-48, 667-688, Supp.
435-443

10/26 Claim Preclusion (cont.) CP 688-693

B. Issue Preclusion CP 694-702

10/27 Issue Preclusion (cont.) CP 702-715

[preclusion questions]

10/29 VIII. Jurisdiction

A. Personal Jurisdiction

3
 1. Origins CP 56-75,
U.S. Const, Art. IV, § 1,
Amends., V & XIV, § 1

2. “Minimum Contacts” CP 74-82

11/2 a. Absorbing In Rem CP 82-96

b. Specific Jurisdiction CP 96-122

11/3 c. General Jurisdiction CP 122-134

11/5 3. Consent CP 134-139

4. Notice CP 140-154
FR 4,
Forms 1A & 1B
5. Restraints on Jurisdiction
a. Long-Arm Statutes CP 154-158

11/6 b. Venue CP 158-164

(NU Monday) 28 U.S.C. §§ 1391-1392

c. Transfer and Forum CP 164-173

Non Conveniens 28 U.S.C.§ 1404(a),
1406, 1631
[personal jurisdiction &
venue questions]

11/9 B. Subject Matter Jurisdiction CP 175-178

U.S. Const. Art. III

1. Federal Question CP 178-189

28 U.S.C. § 1331

2. Diversity CP 189-204
28 U.S.C. § 1332

11/10 3. Supplemental CP 204-213, 761-770

28 U.S.C. § 1367
[supplemental jurisdiction &
joinder questions]

11/12 4. Removal CP 213-220

28 U.S.C. §§ 1441, 1446-47

4
 Review Quiz III Review Quiz III

11/16 IX. Choice of Law

A. the Erie doctrine CP 221-237
28 U.S.C. § 1652

11/17 B. Limits of State Power CP 237-246

11/19 Limits of State Power (cont.) CP 246-255

[BC Erie problem]
11/23 X. Complex Litigation
A. Compulsory Joinder of Parties CP 770-780, Supp. 445
Rule 19

11/24 B. Intervention CP 780-791

FR 24
11/26 No Class – Thanksgiving

11/30 C. Class Actions CP 798-821

FR 23, 28 U.S.C. 1332 (d),
28 U.S.C. 145

12/1 Catch-up

12/3 Review Quiz IV Review Quiz IV