This website is a resource for anyone interested in our civil justice system.
Whether you are a seasoned lawyer with a tricky procedural issue, a law student struggling to get your arms around the complexities of your civil procedure or federal courts class, or someone unconnected with the law who wants to learn more about how our civil trial system works, I’ve got answers!
I was a full-time trial lawyer for more than 25 years and I’ve now been teaching law for more than a dozen.
I’ve written a bunch of books about the federal court system. I hope my unusual combination of extensive real-world experience as a trial lawyer combined with years of honing my skills at explaining complex legal concepts makes this site valuable to you.
For Practicing Lawyers:
For practicing lawyers, I have two primary tools:
• First, I have compiled the text of all of the advisory committee notes in a searchable database. Although these notes are available many other places, to my knowledge they are not compiled together in one dedicated, searchable format anywhere else.
• Second, this website contains a growing archive of short articles exploring different aspects of federal practice. To receive these by email, sign up below. I’m also available to consult on thorny procedural issues that arise in your cases.
For Law Students:
For law students, I also offer two benefits:
• In the blog, you’ll find numerous articles about how to succeed in law school. To receive these by email, sign up below.
• And if you have questions about civil procedure (or any other trial or federal court-related class), please contact me and I’ll do my best to answer your questions in writing or by video. These questions and responses are archived in the blog as well.
For Nonlawyers:
For nonlawyers I offer answers to your questions about the civil trial system:
• Previous answers are archived on the blog, and I’ll be happy to try to answer new questions that you post to me.
• Additionally, I am working on a book about a fascinating case I worked on that involved a rare cancer cluster in Nevada. It’s tentatively titled Clusterf*ck and it includes a medical mystery, plenty of human interest, and a rare peek under the curtains of the civil justice system.
I’m looking for beta readers, so if you’re interested in reading my chapters and providing your reactions, please reach out here.