Chapter 11 - Trial Preparation

11.2

The Three Stages of Litigation

  • Segment ProgressBar
  • Scales of Justice

    INTRODUCTION

    The concept of litigation stages translates well to other practice areas, such as contracts, bankruptcy, and other areas. There are almost always three stages of each area of representation.

    Paralegal Perspective . . .

    STAGES OF LITIGATION
    Notice the list breaking down the stages in the Manual. One thing I was not prepared for when I became a paralegal was how critical the pretrial stage was. It is where most cases are settled. It is where the cases that wind up in trial are won, relying on the hard preparatory work by the attorney and paralegal. Most importantly, the pretrial stage is where the paralegal is most involved. I knew that on any given day, the work I performed could affect someone's future. That was real motivation.


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    Exercises
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    Tasks of Litigation
    Stages of Litigation (Progress Check)