Setting the Stage for the Schulansky Case
The first five parts of this book have dealt with the “substance” of civil procedure, that is, the various judicial rules and doctrines that govern the litigation process. The chapters that follow are intended to give you a sense of how the process actually works by chronicling the early stages of a typical (though hypothetical) civil case, Schulansky v. Ronan. Each chapter includes the court papers filed at one stage of the Schulansky suit, including typical pleadings, motions, and supporting documents. In addition, the materials provide a look at the legal and tactical questions that the attorneys considered in drafting those documents. This chapter is intended to help you to place the ones that follow in context, by providing a brief description of the process of litigating a civil suit from the beginning up until trial.