Examples & Explanations for Federal Courts

Award-winning author and professor, Laura E. Little, has updated her approachable and practical study guide to what is considered one of the most challenging and abstract subjects in the law. Examples & Explanations for Federal Courts grounds the law of federal courts for students by providing brief textual introduction to doctrines, as well as examples, analytical answers, and graphical depictions of the legal doctrine. The new edition maintains the highly admired, straightforward Examples & Explanations format yet also includes many important cutting-edge developments in the field, omitted from competing books.

New to the 4th Edition:

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Discussion of new case law on Article III arising under jurisdiction


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Review of new cases concerning diversity jurisdiction and supplemental jurisdiction


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Extensive revision and expansion of the standing materials, including standing issues arising in cases concerning gerrymandering, statutory rights, and false electoral speech


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Review of new cases pertaining to congressional control over federal courts


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Materials on the impact of an important decision pertaining to Younger abstention doctrine, Sprint Communications v. Jacobs, 571 U.S. 69 (2013)


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Integration of the myriad cases making subtle refinements and changes to the law of federal habeas corpus


Professors and students will benefit from:

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Forthright treatment of nuanced and unsettled issues in the law- Federal courts is a discipline that resists black letter simplification of legal concepts: this study guide not only recognizes that fact, but also capitalizes on it, without sacrificing clarity or meaningful analysis.


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Award-winning author known for ability to present complicated subjects in an understandable fashion-A widely respected federal courts scholar, Professor Laura Little has lectured worldwide on federal courts issues and is a frequent federal jurisdiction lecturer for federal judges at judicial conferences and programs sponsored by the Federal Judicial Center. She has published several articles in the field of federal court jurisdiction and has won many teaching prizes (including a top teaching honor, the Great Teacher Award) as well as scholarship awards. Her work in procedural subjects has recently been acknowledged by the American Law Institute, which appointed her to serve as Associate Reporter for the Restatement (Third) of Conflict of Laws.


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Accessible and clear writing style and flexible organization-With lucid explanations of complex areas of the law, the volume breaks down doctrines into component parts. Organization adapts well to a variety of teaching approaches; topics are organized according to the various functions of federal courts, which gives the book thematic coherence while still allowing students to use the content according to their own needs. Written so that each chapter stands on its own.


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Visual aids-Includes several graphs and illustrations that illustrate both "macro" and "micro" understandings of the material; some are designed to convey larger relationships among doctrines and institutions, while others are designed to illustrate the intricacies of rules.


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Examples that model good lawyering and exam-taking techniques-The examples demonstrate complexities and ambiguities in the legal doctrine. The explanations provide models of practical skills for coping with uncertainty in the law. Through the explanations, students can learn to anticipate and outline arguments on both sides of a controversy.


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A book highly regarded by other Federal Courts professors-Both new and experienced federal courts professors report that they use the book for their own class preparation. Many professors use the book as a required text for their Federal Courts course.