Tools for Legal Practice: Litigation/Court Practice

BL > Litigation > Litigation Practical Guidance

• browse for specific tasks and procedural phases of litigation; also browse for Example Search templates for specific pleadings, motions, and litigation tasks (leveraging Bloomberg Law's powerful Dockets coverage)
• federal and multi-state coverage, with leads and example searches to tailor for jurisdiction-specific model documents

LX+ > Practical Guidance >

• browse general guidance for Civil Litigation and Criminal Law, or practice areas (e.g., Labor & Employment > Employment Litigation)
• offers numerous criminal practice templates
• select a procedural phase or task type, then filter for jurisdiction (including some international) and/or resource type (e.g. Templates (forms), Checklists)

WL > Content Type > Practical Law >

• browse general guidance for Litigation (including specialties such as White Collar Crime & Investigations) ... or topical practice areas (e.g., IP & Technology > Patent Litigation)
• state and federal coverage, or switch (at top of screen) to Practical Law > Global Home for international jurisdictions

Start with internal briefs/orders banks. Ask a supervising attorney or the firm's librarian about such collections.

Then look for models in practical guidance collections:

California-specific civil practice guidance

register for CEB AccessLaw > Practitioner > Litigation Practice & Procedure ... Business Litigation ... or browse practice areas

• Checklists, workflows, strategy notes, forms for every stage from client intake through post-trial and appeals

Pleadings & motions

California Forms of Pleading & Practice (LX+)

California Points & Authorities (LX+)—also, browse accompanying Forms

Civil Procedure Before Trial (WL)—(aka Weil & Brown); separate Forms volume ... and Federal Civil Procedure Before Trial—(aka Schwarzer) for California federal and 9th Cir. practice

Criminal practice

California Criminal Law (WL)

California Criminal Procedure (WL)

California Criminal Motions (WL)

Court rules of practice

WL > Content Type > Secondary Sources > By Type:KeyRules - shortcut guidance integrating application of all rules of practice in a given court (including local rules) with links to rules text, practice pointers, and sample documents.

California Rules of Court (California Judicial Council)

• online directory of Superior Court local court rules
• California Courts of Appeal > [select court district] > Forms & Local Rules (scroll to bottom)
• California Supreme Court E-Filing & Procedures

Trial procedure & evidence

Civil Trials & Evidence (WL) and Federal Civil Trials & Evidence

California Judges Benchbooks (CEB): Jefferson's California Evidence Benchbook ... Search and Seizure ... Domestic Violence Cases in Criminal Court

Pattern jury instructions

Civil Jury Instructions (aka CACI, pronounced "khaki") and Criminal Jury Instructions (aka CALCRIM)—official, from California Judicial Council

California Civil Jury Instructions (aka BAJI, pronounced "badge-y") and California Jury Instructions - Criminal (aka CALJIC)—alternative sets of standard pattern jury instructions

• companion handbooks available for criminal and civil: WL > States > California > Secondary Sources > Publication Type:Jury Instructions

BL > Litigation > Litigation Analytics

LX+ > Litigation Analytics

WL > Tools > Litigation Analytics

Analytics are used to get competitive intelligence and strategic information for client/business development, opposition research, briefing/argument tactics, and case management and settlement assessment. These services offer docket-based data on companies, counsel, courts, and cases (including precedent citation patterns, motion outcomes, damages, and more).

Why use analytics in litigation practice?

Litigation Analytics Primer (BL)

Introducing Lexis+ Litigation Analytics

Understanding Litigation Analytics (WL)

ABA/Bloomberg Law: Lawyer's Manual on Professional Conduct—authoritative one-stop shop for researching questions of legal ethics and professional responsibility:

• includes treatises on Legal Malpractice Litigation ... Professional Responsibility in Litigation ... and more
• select from map for California Ethics Resources or other states

The California State Bar:

• Ethics and Rules resources, including Judicial Ethics
• Once you join as an active member of the Bar, you will be required to complete New Attorney Training (one-time) and Minimum Continuing Legal Education (periodic)