Represent yourself in court
Book - 1993
Saved in:
- Subjects
- Published
-
Berkeley :
Nolo Press
1993-
- Language
- English
- Other Authors
- ,
- Item Description
- Kept up-to-date between editions by revised printing.
Editions from 1993-2010 (1st-7th ed.) cataloged as monographs in LC. - Physical Description
- volumes : illustrations ; 28 cm
- Publication Frequency
- Triennial
- ISBN
- 9781413329933
- ISSN
- 24723525
- 1. Going It Alone in Court
- A Note to Law Students
- Can You Really Represent Yourself?
- Coping With Being a Stranger in a Strange Land
- Civility
- Arranging for Unbundled (Limited-Scope) Legal Representation
- Pro Se-Friendly Court Rules and Procedures
- Online Legal Assistance
- Using This Book
- Trying to Settle Your Case
- Alternatives to Trial
- 2. The Courthouse and the Courtroom
- An Overview of Federal and State Courts
- A Typical Courthouse
- The Courtroom Players
- The Courtroom and Its Physical Layout
- Courtroom Rules, Customs, and Etiquette
- 3. Starting Your Case
- Do You Have a Good Case?
- Is Your Lawsuit Timely?
- Which Court Has the Power to Hear Your Case?
- Beginning a Lawsuit
- 4. Pretrial Procedures
- Know and Follow Pretrial Deadlines
- Pretrial Conferences
- Court-Ordered Mediation and Arbitration
- Initial Pretrial Procedures: Setting Ground Rules
- Intermediate Pretrial Procedures: Discovery and Motions
- Final Pretrial Procedures: Trial Preparation
- 5. Investigating Your Case
- Informal Investigation
- Formal Discovery
- Depositions
- Written Interrogatories
- Requests for Production of Documents and Subpoenas
- Requests for Admissions
- 6. Settlement
- Court-Ordered Mediation
- Court-Ordered Arbitration
- Offers of Judgment
- Pretrial Settlement Conferences
- Post-Settlement Documents
- 7. Pretrial Motions
- Overview of Pretrial Motion Practice
- Is a Motion Necessary?
- What Goes Into a Motion?
- Scheduling a Court Hearing on a Pretrial Motion
- Serving and Filing Your Documents
- Court Hearings on Motions
- Common Pretrial Motions
- 8. Proving Your Case at Trial: The Plaintiff's Perspective
- The Elements of a Legal Claim
- Finding the Elements of Your Claim
- Proving Each Element
- Your Burden of Proof
- Identifying Facts to Prove the Elements of Your Claim
- Looking Ahead to Trial: Organizing Your Evidence
- Learning About Your Adversary's Case
- 9. Proving Your Case at Trial: The Defendant's Perspective
- Identifying the Elements of the Plaintiff's Legal Claim
- Identifying the Plaintiff's Facts
- Defeating Any One Element of a Claim
- Disproving the Plaintiff's Facts by Impeaching Witnesses
- Proving Your Version of Events
- Putting Defense Strategies Together
- 10. Selecting the Decision Maker
- Are You Eligible for a Jury Trial?
- Are You Better Off With a Judge or a Jury?
- Your Opponent's Right to a Jury Trial
- Disqualifying a Judge
- Making a Timely Request for a Jury Trial
- The Jury Selection Process
- Your Right to Challenge Jurors
- What Jurors Should You Challenge?
- What Should You Ask Prospective Jurors?
- Alternate Jurors
- 11. Opening Statement
- Should You Make an Opening Statement?
- When to Make Your Opening Statement
- Putting Together Your Opening Statement
- What Not to Say During Your Opening Statement
- Rehearsing and Presenting Your Opening Statement
- Sample Opening Statement and Outline
- 12. Direct Examination
- Direct Examination as Storytelling
- Overview of Direct Examination Procedures
- Preparing for Direct Examination
- Presenting Your Own Testimony on Direct Examination
- Questioning Witnesses
- Hostile Witnesses
- The Judge's Role
- Sample Direct Examination
- 13. Cross-Examination
- Overview of Cross-Examination
- Should You Cross-Examine?
- Asking Questions on Cross-Examination
- Eliciting Helpful Evidence
- Impeaching Adverse Witnesses
- Basing Questions on Evidence You Can Offer
- What to Do If Your Witness Is Impeached
- Preparing for Cross-Examination
- 14. Closing Argument
- When to Deliver Your Closing Argument
- Preparing and Rehearsing Your Closing Argument
- Putting Together a Closing Argument
- What Not to Say During Your Closing Argument
- Rebuttal Argument
- Objections During Closing
- Sample Closing Argument and Outline
- 15. Exhibits
- Overview of Admitting Exhibits Into Evidence
- Step 1: Mark Your Exhibits and Show Them to Your Adversary
- Step 2: Identify (Authenticate) Your Exhibits
- Step 3: Lay a Foundation
- Letting Jurors See Your Exhibits
- When Exhibits Are Required: The Best Evidence Rule
- Objecting to Your Adversary's Exhibits
- Organizing Exhibits for Trial
- 16. Basic Rules of Evidence
- Relevance
- Excluding Relevant but Unfairly Prejudicial Evidence
- Opinion Evidence
- Rules Excluding Evidence Based on Social Policies
- Habit Evidence
- Hearsay
- 17. Making and Responding to Objections
- Overview of Objections
- Objections Made Before Trial: Motions in Limine
- Making Objections During Trial
- Responding to Your Adversary's Objections
- Checklist of Common Objections
- 18. Organizing a Trial Notebook
- Section 1. Initial Pleadings and Pretrial Orders
- Section 2. Discovery Materials
- Section 3. Legal Claim Outline
- Section 4. Opening Statement Outline
- Section 5. Direct Examination Outlines
- Section 6. Cross-Examination Outlines
- Section 7. Closing Argument Outline
- Section 8. Jury Trial Documents
- Section 9. Miscellaneous Documents
- 19. Expert Witnesses
- Who Are Expert Witnesses?
- Do You Need an Expert Witness?
- Special Rules for Expert Witnesses
- Finding and Hiring an Expert Witness
- Questioning Your Expert Witness at Trial
- Cross-Examining Your Opponent's Expert Witness
- 20. When Your Trial Ends: Judgments and Appeals
- How Final Decisions Are Made at the End of Trial
- Requesting a New Trial or Change in the Verdict
- Appeals
- Collecting and Paying Judgments
- 21. Representing Yourself in Family Court
- Make a Game Plan
- Understanding the Basics of Family Law
- Filing for Divorce
- How Uncontested Divorces Work
- How Contested Divorces Work
- Modification of Support, Custody, and Visitation
- 22. Representing Yourself in Bankruptcy Court
- The Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Process
- Meeting of Creditors (341(a) Hearing)
- Relief From Stay Hearing
- Objection to Exemption Hearing
- Discharge of Debt Hearing
- Reaffirmation of Debt Hearing
- Getting Help Beyond This Book
- 23. Help Beyond the Book: Websites, People, Places, and Publications
- What You May Want to Research
- Other Sources of Information
- Glossary
- Index