Course Objectives

This course is designed to introduce foreign-trained counsel to the US system of civil procedure and litigation - important background for any lawyer whose clients have interests in the United States. Among the questions explored are: What kinds of courts exist in the United States? Where can parties, including foreign companies, sue, and where might your client be subject to claims? Who can sue? What remedies are available in court? How much information must your client disclose in initial pleadings, or at other times before trial? How might your client resolve disputes without trials? What are the roles of judges and juries at trial? We will survey the elements of a fair procedural system, jurisdiction over parties, phases of a lawsuit, subject matter jurisdiction, choice of law and the effects of prior adjudication. At the end of the class, students will have a fundamental understanding of the litigation process in U.S. courts, so they can effectively converse with U.S. counsel who might be handling litigation matters on their behalf.

Course syllabus and materials are listed below. Please log in to view these items.

Student Comments

"Topic discussion was very productive and professors explored all topics fully. Discussions were very well conducted by professors." Anon., Summer 2009

"It was an amazing experience, the teachers were great, and the overall experience proved worthwhile." Anon., Summer 2009

"The lessons were very stimulating and combined theory and practice in an excellent way." Anon., Summer 2008

Faculty Information

Professor Ward Farnsworth is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at BU Law. After graduating from the University of Chicago law school, he worked as a clerk to Richard A. Posner, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and to Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He then served as a legal adviser to the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague. Since joining the Boston University law faculty in 1997, Dean Farnsworth has taught civil procedure, contracts, tort law, and rhetoric. He is author of The Legal Analyst, a wide-ranging guide to intellectual tools for thinking about legal questions; he also has written a book on rhetoric that will be published this year and a treatise on chess that is available on the Internet.

Course Syllabus and Materials

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