Buy a new version of this textbook and receive access to the Connected eBook with Study Center on CasebookConnect, including: lifetime access to the online ebook with highlight, annotation, and search capabilities; practice questions from your favorite study aids; an outline tool and other helpful resources. Connected eBooks provide what you need most to be successful in your law school classes. Learn more about Connected eBooks

Pretrial, Eleventh Edition, by Thomas Mauet and David Marcus, organizes pretrial planning and execution into a series of steps students can easily master. Ordinary law school classes give students very few opportunities to learn about how lawyers prepare and manage cases. Pretrial introduces students to all aspects of case development, litigation, and settlement, ranging from the initial client interview to the analysis of settlement strategy and terms using many real-life examples. It provides sample documentation for each stage of a civil case. An invaluable text for law students, Pretrial also gives new lawyers straightforward, practice-oriented instruction as they immerse themselves in the real world of litigation practice. It also offers experienced lawyers a concise, ready source they can consult when they need a refresher.

Through eleven editions, Pretrial continues to feel fresh and relevant. This perennial favorite combines vital aspects of civil procedure with accessible coverage of civil litigation in a single volume, introducing students to all aspects of case development. From investigating and planning to pleadings, discovery, motions, and settlement strategy—the hands-on learning, expert analysis, and actual cases in Pretrial encourage students to embrace the subject and develop the practical lawyering skills of pretrial litigation.

Famously clear and concise, Pretrial features:

• Authoritative and readable text from nationally recognized litigation and trial experts
• An organized methodology for building knowledge and skills
• Interactive problem exercises for each stage of a pretrial litigation
• A sample case file—realistic documentation—accompanies a hypothetical civil case
• The online resources include litigation files with separate materials for plaintiffs and defendants for six separate cases
• Additional updates and resources

New to the 11th Edition: 

• Extensive updates to discovery in response to changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and to relevant technology
• Timely guidance for handling remote hearings and depositions
• A fresh look at personal jurisdiction, multi-party joinder, and the many issues that affect litigation, such as taxation of settlements and pleading doctrine

Professors and students will benefit from:

• The only single-volume text to combine no-nonsense instruction in civil procedure with detailed but straightforward how-to lessons for civil litigation
• Authorship by the founder of the trial practice curriculum in American law schools, and revision by a nationally recognized expert in civil procedure
• No jargon, with an eye toward what litigators need to know on a day-to-day basis for their practices