California Civil Discovery

The course offers students an overview of California's major discovery statutes using common law decisions and articles for commentary of the statutes. Topics covered include:

• The Civil Discovery Act under the Code of Civil Procedures Sections: 2016-.00- 2034 with emphasis on purpose, nature, and extent of discovery;
• proffering and responding to form interrogatories, special interrogatories, request for admissions, and production and inspections of documents; 
• conducting depositions;
• presenting expert witnesses; 
• demands for physical and mental examinations;
• objections, sanctions, protective orders; and,
• motions to compel, to restrict or force compliance with the discovery statutes.

The first half of each class session is a lecture followed by a workshop in which students break into smaller groups to practice some of the tools and skills of discovery, through the use of a hypothetical factual situation, involving either a tort or contract dispute.

Prerequisite: Civil Procedure I (110A) and Civil Procedure II (110B)