Examples & Explanations: Federal Courts, Third Edition

by Laura E. Little

An approachable and practical study guide to what is considered a challenging and abstract subject, FEDERAL COURTS: Examples and Explanations provides students with a brief, textual introduction to doctrines, as well as examples and analytical answers. With a sensible, flexible organization, it adapts well to a variety of teaching approaches and learning styles. The book offers a thematic coherence while still allowing professors and students to utilize the content according to their own needs.

Following the dependable Examples and Explanations method, this reliable guide offers ample features and benefits:

Each section provides students with a short account of the law, and includes a variety of concrete examples & explanations designed to uncover uncertainties in the law and reinforce key rules and concepts. Cutting-edge coverage unveils many important recent developments absent in competing books, such as: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (non-Article III courts 2006), Marshall v. Marshall (diversity of citizenship 2006), The Class Action Fairness Act (diversity of citizenship 2005), Terri Schiavo litigation (congressional control of federal court jurisdiction 2005), Grable & Sons v. Darue Engineering (federal question jurisdiction 2005), Empire Healthchoice Assurance, Inc. v. McVeigh (2006), Exxon Mobil v. Allapattah (supplemental jurisdiction 2005), Lance v. Dennis (Rooker-Feldman doctrine 2006), Exxon Mobil v. Saudi Basic Industries (Rooker-Feldman doctrine 2005), Habeas Corpus cases (2005-2006) Nuances and unsettled issues in the law are openly addressed. The guide resists black letter simplification of legal concepts and capitalizes on this notion,without sacrificing clarity or meaningful analysis Complicated subjects are presented in an understandable manner. Widely respected federal courts scholar, Professor Laura E. Little, transforms her global knowledge of federal courts issues in a format that students can digest and master. An accessible and clear writing style provides lucid explanations of complex areas of the law and breaks down doctrines into component parts. Page layout is designed for easy retrieval and understanding A sensible and flexible organization caters to students with various learning styles. 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 Visual aids, including several graphs and illustrations that illustrate both macro and micro understandings of the material, are designed to convey intricacies of rules as well as larger relationships among doctrines and institutions Examples demonstrate complexities and ambiguities in the legal doctrine, while the explanations demonstrate practical skills for coping with uncertainty in the law, anticipating and outlining arguments on both sides of a controversy. Combined, these model good lawyering and exam-taking techniques

548 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2007