Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course is designed to provide an overview of the civil litigation process from initial investigation through appeal.  Areas of focus are pleadings and discovery techniques as provided in the state and federal rules of civil procedure.  These areas are addressed by using tort (personal injury) cases as the basic framework.
Students will be provided with opportunities to analyze, compare, and prepare basic pleadings for both state and federal courts. We will compare discovery techniques utilized in both state and federal courts.
This is an elective course for either a certificate or a degree in the Legal Assistant program at Portland Community College.  Course work may include, but is not limited to, the use of texts, state and federal rules of civil procedure, journal articles, lecture, group discussion and activities, guest speakers, and student presentations.

1. Determine the jurisdictional bases for both state and federal courts.
2. Prepare state and federal pleadings, discovery documents, and simple motions.
3. Apply appropriate state and federal rules of civil procedure to all stages of a civil tort action.
4. Differentiate between the functions of trial courts and appellate courts.
5. Recognize privilege issues as they arise in the discovery process.
6. Identify and apply ethical issues and requirements for legal assistants working in civil litigation.

Examinations, written assignments, and projects.

This course will address topics including, but not limited to:

• United States Court Structure
• Jurisdictional Bases and Application
• Choice of Forum for Litigation
• Initiating a Civil Action
• Pleadings
• Evidence and Privilege Rules and Concepts
• Discovery
• Motion Practice
• Settlement
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Trial Preparation
• Post Trial and Appellate Practice and Procedure
• Enforcing and Collecting Judgments