The casebook offers a wide range of advantages:
- begins with famous old cases on notice and the opportunity to be heard, helping students understand both jurisdiction and procedural rules in a solid framework
- locates procedure within a larger constitutional context and sets the stage for upper-level work in Procedure and Federal Courts
- establishes due process as a conceptual framework students can readily grasp and apply throughout the course
- engages students in the substantive fairness dimension of procedure that otherwise can become obscured by the specifics of procedural rules
- uses carefully edited classic cases to allow instructors to teach the art of close reading
- highlights the relationship between the adversary system and access to justice; reviews the role of women and minorities in all aspects of the civil procedure system
- demonstrates core doctrinal principles at work by presenting major Supreme Court precedents, followed by stimulating lower court decisions
- opens each chapter with a problem and accommodates different teaching styles by allowing the cases and notes to be taught with or without the problems
- problems are also designed to double as practice exam questions for students
- notes are short and focused on guiding student inquiry to enhance Socratic dialogue and avoid overwhelming the pedagogy of the cases
Major changes for the Third Edition include:
- the introduction of new author Norman Spaulding, who draws on years of experience teaching from the book
- an expanded section covering development in ADR
- updates to coverage of jurisdiction in cyberspace
- a revised section on class actions coveringnew cases and reform legislation
- a completely revised and expanded section on summary judgment
- the popular Teacher's Manual provides a thorough guide to teaching the first-year course and advanced topics, with detailed Socratic Q&A, explanations of problems, and comprehensive advice about structuring the course