1. Litigation Procedure of a case: federal and state Basic Competencies
1. What are the rules governing procedure in Federal civil courts?
-Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
In Appellate Court?
Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure
- In Bankruptcy Court?
- Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure
- In Criminal Court?
- Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
- Federal Sentencing Guidelines
In State Courts?
Local State Court Rules
2. Dockets
- What is a docket
- Where do you find a docket for a Federal case?

2. FEDERAL PROCEDURE: Basic competencies
Use the following primary and secondary sources
- U.S. Court websites (USCourts.gov)
- Law Schools (Cornell.edu)
- Wright and Miller (West)
- Moore’s Federal Practice (Bender)
Understand the progress of a case
Locating/reviewing a Docket
Pleadings (complaint, briefs, memorandums of law, motions)
Decision/order/settlement
Know the court rules for your jurisdiction (federal or state)
Understand what Fed. Procedure encompasses and differences from State Procedure
Understand court structure (where case originates, progression of case on appeal)

3. Locate Rule 26 of FRCP: Duty to Disclose
FEDERAL PROCEDURE: Accessing Practice Readiness/Basic Competencies/Testing
What resources are available for locating these Federal Rules: FRCP, Bankruptcy, Appellate, Criminal – use online and print
Locate Rule 26 of FRCP: Duty to Disclose
What is Rule 13 of Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure?
Locate a secondary source that discusses the FRCP from: 1) West 2) Matthew Bender
What is Wright and Miller?
Locate the Federal Sentencing Guidelines Manual

4. State Procedure and Court Rules: Basic Competencies
Court Rules vary from state to state
State court rules usually published on state court websites
State court rules outline the scope of civil, criminal and appellate practice in state courts
Judges often have their own separate rules for practice in their courts
Trial court rules differ from appellate court rules
State civil cases originate in trial court and progress through the appellate process to the state supreme court (process can vary from state to state)

5. Locate the California Rules on Law Practice, Attorneys, and Judges
State court rules and procedure: competencies/Accessing Practice Readiness/Testing
Locate the California Rules on Law Practice, Attorneys, and Judges
Find discussion/analysis of NY state civil procedure using a secondary resource
Where does a civil case originate in your state court?
What is the highest court of your state?
Locate a copy of your state court rules

6. Docket Research: Basic Competencies
Federal Court Litigation: District Courts-Civil/Criminal; Bankruptcy Courts/Appellate Courts
State Courts: trial court/appellate court/supreme court (can vary in states)
What is a docket: A sheet containing a chronological listing of papers filed in a court
Sources for retrieving dockets:
PACER (Federal only)
Westlaw Court Express/Lexis Courtlink/Bloomberg Law (State/Federal)
State court websites (e.g., SCROLL-NY Supreme Court)
Locating Dockets:
Docket number
Party Name
Judge
Jurisdiction
Example of docket number formats: 0:12-cv (Civil); 2:15-cr (criminal); 1.05-bk (bankruptcy); 1504/2011 (New York State)
Track Cases using Westlaw Court Express, Courtlink, Bloomberg Law

7. DOCKETS: Competencies/Accessing Practice Readiness/Testing
Locate a federal civil docket by:
Docket number
Party name
Pull civil docket sheets by 1) docket number; 2) party name from:
PACER/Westlaw Court Express/Courtlink/Bloomberg Law/State court website
Determine presiding judge’s name
Determine plaintiff’s counsel; defendant’s counsel
Retrieve documents from docket ; what pleadings are available? Retrieve:
Complaint
Answer
Briefs/Memorandums of Law
Decision/Order (if available)
Locate a Bankruptcy Court docket- Retrieve Voluntary Petition
Set up a docket track using Bloomberg Law, Courtlink, Westlaw Court Express