Preparing for Trial

This lesson is designed to familiarize law students with legal materials that can be used when preparing for litigation. Rather than creating from scratch many of the documents needed in preparing for a trial, it is much more efficient to find sample documents that can help guide you. Students will be introduced to the various sources that attorneys turn to, including sample forms, pleadings, interrogatories, and other useful resources. Examples are drawn from Kentucky, Ohio, and New York.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Explain the value of using sample documents.
2. List the six stages of litigation and some of the elements of each stage.
3. List at least one resource for each stage of litigation.