Complex Civil Litigation Pre-Trial Practice

This course will address the procedural and jurisdictional issues in complex federal and state court litigation. Special attention will be paid to the strategic decisions required by counsel when handling complex cases. This course will delve into the practical dynamics of complex litigation including issues related to party joinder and intervention, multidistrict litigation, forum selection determinations, dual state-federal proceedings, federal abstention and injunctions, and class action litigation including the requirement of class certification, litigating class certification proceedings, jurisdiction over class members, choice of law, notice and opt-out provisions, and settlement.  Attention will be paid to complex litigation case management conferences and scheduling orders and to managing document and deposition discovery in multi-party litigation, class action litigation, and complex high-stakes one-on-one litigation. Additionally, various tactics and procedures utilized to structure the trial of complex cases will be explored.