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The Future Of Oral Arguments, Jay Tidmarsh

Jay Tidmarsh

The civil-justice literature is replete with discussions of two phenomena: case management and the vanishing trial. These two phenomena are not unrelated. One commonly state goal of case management is to find ways, other than trial, to resolve civil disputes that find their way into court. Some observers find the movements toward case management and away from trial to be salutary; others find them disquieting. Regardless of the merits of this debate, the delivery of civil justice is undeniably evolving.

This evolution affects and changes many of the traditional attributes of American-style civil justice. The Essay examines one of these …

The Future Of Oral Arguments, Jay Tidmarsh

Journal Articles

The civil-justice literature is replete with discussions of two phenomena: case management and the vanishing trial. These two phenomena are not unrelated. One commonly state goal of case management is to find ways, other than trial, to resolve civil disputes that find their way into court. Some observers find the movements toward case management and away from trial to be salutary; others find them disquieting. Regardless of the merits of this debate, the delivery of civil justice is undeniably evolving.

This evolution affects and changes many of the traditional attributes of American-style civil justice. The Essay examines one of these …

Procedural Constants: How Delay Aversion Shapes Reform, Thomas O. Main

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Complexity In Litigation: A Differential Diagnosis, Curtis E.A. Karnow

Curtis E.A. Karnow

This note examines complex litigation with the goal of providing practical options for its management. It is written from a judge’s perspective. I review the definition of a “complex” case and explain its emphasis on the need for a judge to manage the case, with a focus on enabling settlement. I address a series of specific characteristics or aspects of complex cases, explaining how these affect the progress of the case. Then the note explores the many tools and techniques judges have to manage and ameliorate difficult aspects of complex cases. {Pre-print. Final article as published differs substantially and is …

The Fourth Era Of American Civil Procedure, Thomas O. Main, Stephen N. Subrin

Scholarly Works

Every contemporary American lawyer who has engaged in litigation is familiar with the now fifty-four-volume treatise, Federal Practice and Procedure. Both of that treatise’s named authors, Charles Alan Wright and Arthur Miller, have mourned the death of a Federal Rules regime that they spent much of their professional lives explaining and often celebrating. Wright shared a sense of gloom about federal procedure that he compared to the setting before World War I. Miller has also published a series of articles that chronicled his grief.

We agree that something has fundamentally changed. In fact, we believe that we are in …

Timing Settlement, Curtis E.A. Karnow

Curtis E.A. Karnow

A review of empirical and theoretical research pertaining to the effective timing of settlement conferences, and the factors affecting success at settlement.

Exploring Methods To Improve Management And Fairness In Pro Se Cases: A Study Of The Pro Se Docket In The Southern District Of New York, Jonathan D. Rosenbloom

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article describes a study done in the Southern District of New York on pro se cases. Part I details the lack of current data and the methods used in the study. Part II provides the results of the study amd attempts to identify the areas of pro se litigation in which litigants are faced with the most problems and where improvement is needed. It also discusses the effects of the Prison Litigation Reform Act. Part III suggests a plan that will help courts run more smoothly in assisting pro se litigants.

Civil Justice Reform In The United States — Opportunity For Learning From 'Civilized' European Procedure Instead Of Continued Isolation?, Ernst C. Stiefel, James Maxeiner

All Faculty Scholarship

This article reports on present and past efforts at civil justice reform in the United States and assesses the opportunities for learning from Continental models. European jurists have long urged that their American colleagues consider using continental approaches in dealing with the serious problems that afflict the American system of civil justice. A few years back, our colleague Kötz noted that "If there is a desire to reform American civil procedure, either by making changes within the adversary system or by developing alternative methods of dispute resolution, the Continental experience may be well worth studying."