This book is designed to be used in conjunction with any of the existing civil procedure casebooks. It includes the restyled Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, procedural statutes, state rules of court, and illustrative forms. The cases highlight areas commonly addressed in first-year civil procedure courses, but demonstrate how California procedure differs from its federal counterpart.

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of civil procedure, convenient for class or exam preparation. It provides clear and concise explanations of legal concepts and terms, along with exam hints, strategies, mnemonics, charts, tables, and study tips. It includes self-testing and diagnostic review questions and case squibs, which are capsule summaries of significant cases identifying important facts, primary issues, and relevant law. It also provides numerous essay and multiple-choice questions with model answers and detailed explanations. A study guide offers suggestions for the critical hours before an exam.

California has one of the most complex procedural systems in the nation. This Nutshell provides an overview of the many significant differences that impact the choice between state and federal courts in California. The authors succinctly analyze California procedure and expose different solutions to the practice problems found in a state containing parallel systems of state and federal procedure.