First Syllabus and Assignment Sheet
Shavers -- Civil Procedure
 
 

Professor Anna Williams Shavers
Office: 215 Law College
472-2194; email-ASHAVERS1@unl.edu

 

For our first day of class, prepare for discussion the Strawbridge case and accompanying material on pages 5-6 of the Shavers' Supplemental Materials. The material in Chapter 1 of the Freer- Perdue text may be helpful to your understanding the nature of Civil Procedure. You will not be expected to discuss this material in class.
You should begin reading The Buffalo Creek Disaster and finish it as soon as possible.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Your required texts are the Civil Procedure: Cases, Materials, and Questions, 2nd Edition by Richard D. Freer and Wendy Collins Perdue (Text); Cound, Friedenthal, Miller and Sexton's -1999 Civil Procedure Supplement by John J. Cound, Jack H. Friedenthal, Arthur R. Miller and John E. Sexton; Stern, Buffalo Creek Disaster; the Shavers Supplemental Materials(Fall 2000); and Nebraska Statutory Supplement (Fall 2000).

The Text has Notes and Questions that follow the assigned cases. I suggest that you carefully consider this material in connection with the assigned cases.

CLASS RULES

1. Email and Web Access-
Each of you must send me a message using your Law College email account (or your account of choice) by September 11, 2000. If you use an account other than the Law College account, you must inform the library so that your correct address will be added to the class list.

The message should be sent to ASHAVERS1@unl.edu The purpose of the message is to assure me that all of you know how to access the system. It is my intention to use email to send instructions to the class from time to time. In addition, you can use email to address questions to me regarding material that we have discussed in class but which you feel needs further explanation. These questions will be received by the entire class. My responses will generally be sent to the entire class.
If there is some reason that you do not want the question or comment sent to the entire class, let me know. I will allow this until I find that it is for some reason (to be determined by me) no longer acceptable. I reserve the right to share my response with the entire class (even though I will not identify the source of the question).
I have created a web page for the class. You can find it at http://www.unl.edu/ashavers/civproc.htm . You will find links that will be relevant to our class discussions as the year progresses. You will also find a link to a "Problems and Discussion Forum " . This link will take you to the password protected area that I have created to handle various problems, discussions and sample exam questions, etc. You will find instructions for entering the this area on the class web page
You may find that it is more helpful to use the discussion forum rather than email to engage in a discussion with your fellow classmates.

If you do not have personal access to a computer for email or internet access, or if it is more convenient, you have access available through computers located in the law college. Please see a librarian for assistance.

2. Tape recorders - Tape recorders are not permitted in class. You may request permission to use a tape recorder where special circumstances exist.

3. Computers in Class - I have no objection to the use or laptop/notebook computers in class. However, if they become distractive to other students, we will need to designate a special section of the class for computer users. There are a limited number of outlets available in the classroom.

4. Office Hours - I have no special office hours. I have an open door policy (even if its closed). Feel free to come and see me at anytime.

EXAMINATION RULES

For the examination you will be permitted to use the Required Materials and any other handouts that I give you. You may write anything you want in the Required Materials. You will be permitted to use your notes and outlines prepared by you (or in which you had substantial participation in preparing). You will not be permitted to use any old examinations, other commercially published materials or photocopies of prohibited materials.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

1. Glannon, Civil Procedure 3rd Ed.(1997), Park & McFarland, Computer-Aided Exercises on Civil Procedure, and Shreve & Raven-Hansen, Understanding Civil Procedure -- these are excellent, readable supplements for the course. They are in the bookstore because I recommend them over the other available study aids. They are also available on reserve at the Library Desk. They are OPTIONAL materials for the course.

2. Hornbooks -- On reserve at Library Desk

Clark, Handbook of the law of code pleading (1947) [hornbook on the code pleading system that is the framework for Nebraska procedure]
Friedenthal, Miller & Kane, Civil Procedure (1999)
James & Hazard, Civil Procedure (3rd Ed. 1985)
Teply and Whitten, Civil procedure
Wright, Law of Federal Courts (4th Ed. 1983)

3. Multi-Volume Treatises -- In Library Stacks

Moore, Federal Practice - KF8820.A313 M63
Wright & Miller, Federal Practice & Procedure KF8840 . W68
Moore, Nebraska Practice KFN80 .N4

4. Specialized Case Reporter -- In Library with Federal Reporters

Federal Rules Service, 1st, 2nd, 3rd ( KF8830.1 .F43)

5. Computer Research Materials --

[You will be receiving training on these resources as the year progresses]

WESTLAW - various databases, refer to WestSearches: Queries on Civil Litigation; WEST CD-ROM - Federal Civil Practice Library (contains some of the above-listed reference materials); LEXIS - various databases

Assignment No.

 Topics and Cases
Text Supplements
 Assignment #1  Strawbridge v. Curtiss, Article III and 28 USC § 1332    Shavers pp.5-6
Assignment #2 Strawbridge continued; Chapter 1-An overview of the procedural system pp.1-23

Shavers p. 7

Neb. 1-2 (Article V) , 7 (§24-201)

Assignment #3 Buffalo Creek Disaster
   Showing of "A Civil Action" -- Friday, August 27th, 1:15-4:00 Room 110-- Required Attendance    
Assignment #4

Chapter 2 - Personal Jurisdiction

Pennoyer v. Neff

pp.25-37
Assignment #5 Hess v. Pawloski pp. 37-41
Assignment #6 Modern Era - International Shoe Co. v. Washington pp. 42-49
Assignment #7

Specific Jurisdiction, Due Process and Long-Arm Statutes

McGee, Hanson and Gray

pp.49-52
Assignment #8 World-Wide Volkswagen v. Woodson pp.53-67
Assignment #9 Personal Jurisdiction in Federal Court pp 67-72
Assignment #10 Burger King v. Rudzewicz pp 72-87
Assignment #11 Asahi Metal Industry Co. v. Superior Court pp 87-95
Assignment #12

General Jurisdiction

Helicopteros Nacionales de Colombia, S.A. v. Hall

Perkins v. Benquet

pp. 95-105
Assignment #13

Other Jurisdiction Considerations

-Consent

pp. 105-106
Assignment #14

-Power over Property

Shaffer v. Heitner

pp. 106-121
Assignment #15

-Transient Presence

Burnham v. Superior Court of California

pp. 121-136
Assignment #16

Other Approaches -

-A different perspective

-Other Countries

pp. 136-140
Assignment #17 Statutory Limits on Personal Jurisdiction pp. 140-148 Shavers Supp. p. 33
Assignment #18 Personal Jurisdiction in Nebraska Shavers Supp. pp.29-31,34-35  ;Neb. Supp. 17-23(§§25-501 thru 25-542)
Assignment #19 Nebraska, con't Shavers Supp. 37-47
Assignment #20

Chapter 3 - Notice and Opportunity to Be Heard

Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank

pp. 149-158
Assignment #21 -The Mechanics: Statutory Requirements pp. 158-167 Cound Supp. (Rule 4) 
Assignment #22

Opportunity to Be Heard

Connecticut v. Doehr

pp. 167-183 Shavers p. 49
Assignment #23 Statutes of Limitations Shavers pp. 48; 50-53