Civil Procedure Case Briefs

Civil procedure governs the mechanics of how civil lawsuits are initiated, conducted, and resolved in federal and state courts. As a 1L course, civ pro teaches students to navigate the rules that determine where a case can be heard, who has standing to sue, what must be pleaded, and how judgments are enforced. The subject is heavily tested on the bar exam and is foundational to every area of litigation practice.

The cases below cover the full civ pro curriculum. International Shoe Co. v. Washington and World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson define the minimum-contacts framework for personal jurisdiction. Erie Railroad v. Tompkins and its progeny — Guaranty Trust, Hanna v. Plumer, Shady Grove v. Allstate — establish the choice-of-law rules in diversity cases. On pleading, you will find the pivotal shift from Conley v. Gibson to the plausibility standard of Bell Atlantic v. Twombly and Ashcroft v. Iqbal. Class action doctrine is represented by Wal-Mart v. Dukes and Hansberry v. Lee.

Each brief is structured in standard law-school format — procedural posture, facts, issue, holding, and reasoning — so you can prepare for class, build your outline, or study for the final. Combine these briefs with our AI study tools to master jurisdiction, venue, joinder, discovery, summary judgment, and claim preclusion.