PRETRIAL PROCEDURES Flashcards
Complaint: what to know
- Is filed with the court with a summons (The filing of the complaint begins the stt of lims)
- Then it is served to the other party (Service must be within 90 days)
Elements of a Complaint
1) Statement of Jurisdiction;
2) Statement of Facts (not theory); and
3) Demand for Relief
Specific Complaint: (times the claim needs to be more specific: (pled with specificity))
- Fraud
- Special dmgs
Answer: what to know
1) Signed by lawyer;
2) Must Deny or Admit; (whatever is not denied is admitted); and
3) Must be filed after the complaint is served, within 21 days
What else can be included in the Answer?
Affirmative Defenses can be explicitly pled in the Answer
What are some Affirmative Defenses pled in the Answer?
- Contributory Negligence
- Statute of Frauds
- Statute of Limitations
- Illegality
- Duress
How are courts with Amendments?
Cts are very lenient with amendments
Amending the Pleadings: options
- Amendment as of Right
- Amendment by Leave of Court
Amendment As of Right: what to know
- does not need court permission
- MUST be filed 21 days after service of the OG pleading
Amendment by Leave of the Court
- Must be after the 21 day deadline of the OG pleading
- Need ct’s permission
- not hard to get, ‘when justice so requires’
Relation Back: (amending a claim or defense in the document)
Sometimes the amended pleadings can related back to the date of the original pleading
amendment will relate back if: it arose out of the same conduct, transaction, or occurrence
“Arose out of the same conduct, transaction, or occurrence”
Relation Back for PARTIES: (Changing/Amending Parties)
Elements
- Arose out of the same conduct, transaction, or occurrence,
- Within 90 days of filing the complaint, the party that is going to be brought in received enough notice so that they would not be prejudiced, and
- If the new party knew or should have known that the action should have been brough were it not for a mistake in the party’s i.d. (facts will tell you)
Definition – Rule 11
- Statement that what the lawyer is filing is true
- To the best of their knowledge, information, and belief, there is a basis for what they are saying
- That their legal arguments are ‘warranted by existing law’
- ‘Allegations have evidentiary support’
- Not being presented for ‘improper purpose’
Counterclaim
- Defendant raises a claim back at the Plaintiff. There are two kinds, Compulsory and Permissive
Compulsory Counterclaim:
1) Same transaction or occurrence of the OG claim
AND
2) ct already has Supplemental jurisdiction
Permissive Counterclaim:
- Not out of the same transaction or occurrence
AND - Needs its own independent juris to be established (find it in the facts) no new juris = no permissive cc
Permissive Joinder:
multiple P can join together if:
1) their claims come from a Single transaction or occurrence
AND
2) there is a Common questions of law/fact
Multiple Ps can join multiple Ds if:
1. the claim meets all the elements as above
AND
2. all Ps agree
Compulsory Joinder
- Party MUST be joined if:
It would be unfair to litigate without them
What kinds of joinder are there?
Compulsory and Permissive
What is joinder?
Joining multiple parties together on one claim
What kinds of parties are in Compulsory Joinder?
- Necessary parties
OR - Indispensable Party
Necessary Party: what to know
- Need to be joined
- Complete relief could not be afforded without having them join the action
- Because leaving them out would ‘impair their interests’
- If joining them would ruin or eliminate the jurisdiction > case can still move forward
Indispensable party, what to know:
- party would be unfairly prejudiced if not joined to the action
- If cannot join due to jurisdiction
Case must be DISMISSED
- If cannot join due to jurisdiction
Class certification requirements
- Size
^Case must be so large that joining all the little claims would be impossible- Common question of law or fact
- Typicality
^The claim of the representatives must be typical of the whole class - Fair representation
^Are the representatives really fairly protecting the interests of the class?
what are the 3 types of class actions?
- B1 = Impairment of Interests
- B2 = Injunctive Relief
- B3 = Common Question (the superior method
What are the things you need to know to distinguish class action lawsuits?
- what they mean,
- whether or not members can opt out
- notice requirements
Opting out for class actions
- B1 & B2 = Members MAY NOT OPT OUT
vs. - B3 = Member MAY OPT OUT
Notice requirements for class actions
Notice & Class Actions:
* B1 & B2 = Notice NOT required, in discretion
of Court
vs.
* B3 = Notice to ALL members (ie anyone whose contact information can be obtained by reasonable methods) - can send by mail