October 6th Notes

Fundamentals of Legal Practice
October 6, 2009

Review of Last Class
    -There is no big book of law.
    -Law comes from statues, constitutions, case law, ordinances, etc.
    -Supreme court requires writ of cert with federal issue/public policy
    -Federal court requires issue of federal law, diversity of citizenship, & $75,000
    -You must go to the appropriate court with your case.
    -Mandatory precedent:
        -in the same system
        -must be a higher court
        -same facts
    -Supreme court judges are called justices (both state and federal)
        -are not all powerful (checks & balances)
        -Dred Scott v. Sandford 1857(proper action of judge)
        -Capital Punishment (death penalty)
    - Justice Roger Brooke Taney
        -showed restraint in his decision of Dred Scott v. Sandford
    -2/3 required for constitutional change
        -27th amendment 1992 pay raises   
        -26th amendment 18 to vote

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Trial Courts    Page 20
    -Issues of Fact
        -decided by jury
        -handles actual facts   example: speeding, drunk, view obscured
    -Issues of Law
        -decided by judge
        -handles the law  example: competency, rules on objections, evidence
    -Appeals
        -almost always panels who hear transcript of trial
        -3 judges (div I, II, III)
        -Only hear appeals if:
            1. about an issue of law
                -can not appeal issue of fact
                -something the judge messed up
            2. prejudicial error, not a harmless error
                -affect the outcome
                -harmless errors do not affect outcome
                -prevention of bureaucracy
                

Civil v. Criminal Law        Page 25

-Civil
    -concerned with rights and remedies of the law
        -example: breach of contract
    -tends to only be about money (no longer with battle)
        -compensation
        -only remedy available is money

    1. Compensatory Damages
        -most losses are about money
        -objective is making the plaintiff whole (bringing back to previous state)
        1.General Damages
            -puts a $ amount on something
            -example: pain,suffering,emotional, disfigurement, reputation
        2. Special Damages
            -easy to quantify
            -example: wage loss, medical bills, auto damage,

    2. Punitive or Exemplary Damages
        -designed to punish the defendant's conduct and deter others from conduct
        -Richard Grimshaw v. Ford Motor  1981 Exploding Pinto case
        -WA does not offer these damages
            -Why?
                -What about all the other victims?
                -Already have general damages money
                -OR has punitive but 40% must go to public good
                -Punitive means punish
                    -criminal system takes care of that side of case
                -Disproportionate towards to damages
                    -Liebeck v. McDonald's  1994
                        -millions on hot coffee case
                -The jury makes the determination

    3. Nominal Damages
        -Token damages
        -Preserves a principal
            -example: sue for $1 on trespassing
            -the right for assembly, ACLU cases
        -Non-profit organizations

-Class Action can be either compensation or punitive
    -collection of smaller suits tied together

-Equitable Remedies
    -Only judges no jury
    -Must have "clean hands"
        -example: secret contract breached can not come to court
    -Constructive Trust
        -Getting the particular outcome
            -example: getting back a necklace
        -Campbell v. Wentz 1948
            -Output contract: we will buy all your carrots regardless of amount
            -Wentz upped price during blithe wanted to breach contract
            -Campbell didn't want money, wanted carrots
    -Injunctions
        -example: tuba @ 3am needs to stop
    -Resending Contracts
    -Restitution
        -example: clock fixer has clock but didn't fix, just want clock back
       
-Criminal
    -certain conduct hurts everyone
    -society cares
    -diminish society
    -Terminology
        -Guilty not used in class
        -Liable is used in class
       
    1. Felonies
        -punished by more than a year
        -go to prison
        -loss of civil rights/liberties
            -ineligible for licenses
    2. Misdemeanors
        -punished less than a year
        -go to jail

-Civil and Criminal Cases that are both
    -theft and murder
        -example: murder of breadwinner, theft of wallet
            -in prison but need money or wallet back
    -double jeopardy case
        -can't have the same case
        -hung juries do not apply
        -state/federal court can have same case does not apply

Landmark distinctions between Criminal v. Civil
-Burden of proof (Latin: onus probandi)
    -obligation to shift the assumed conclusion away from an oppositional opinion to one's own position
    -only be fulfilled by evidence

-Civil
    -Burden of Proof
        -beyond a reasonable doubt
    -Jury 9/10  WA 10/12
    -Right to Appeal
    -Level Field (no presumtions)

-Criminal
    -Burden of Proof
        -preponderance of evidence
    -Unanimous Jury 12/12
    -No Appeal of acquittal
    -Presumed innocent

-We like the unlevel playing field in criminal.
    -Better that they are free than one unfair punishment

-Two outcomes in a criminal case
    -Guilty "You did it"
    -Not Guilty "We can't prove you did it"
      
Definitions        Page 29
-Study these terms

-Jurisdiction
    -refers to the power of the court to hear a case
    -which is the proper one to bring the case to
    -Depends on:
        -Subject Matter
        -Geography
        -Venue



Chapter 2        Page 39
-Briefing Cases
    -will be covered in other class

-Judges don't agree most of the time
    -Per Curiam
        -it speaks for the entire court
    -Concuring Opinions
        -agree with outcome, not the reasoning
        -should win but for another reason
    -Dissenting Opinions
        -agree with outcome, not the reasoning
        -shouldn't have one but for another reason
        -Read these opinions, you can cite these
            -tend to be used in appealing cases

-Pro Se
    -representing themselves
-Amicus Curiae Brief
    -"friend of the court"
-C.J. means Chief Justice
-Judges can join in opinions, generally written by the most senior judges

-Brief
    -short summary of a case
    -find cases that support both opinions
    -Most Important Case of All
        -Marbury v. Madison    1803
           -1800 Adams leaving office appointed judges
            -Marbury was told no position so he:
                -found Judiciary Act of 1790
                -writ of mandate for the position
                -Chief Justice Marshall still said No
                -found Judiciary Act unconstitutional
                -Allowed (Article III in Constitution)
                -means Judges can find Congress unconstitutional
                -defined checks & balances

"It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. . . . If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must decide on the operation of each. . . . This is of the very essence of judicial duty."
    --John Marshall's quote from the Marbury v. Madison case

-He does not care about the format of your brief.  He will teach his method. 
    -No one cares what form it is in with the real world.
    -Form is almost never elevated over substances.

-IRAC Method of Briefing (his prefered)
4 Steps
1.Issue
    -what the court is being called upon to resolve
    -one sentence
2.The Rule of Law
    -rule that applies to the fact
    -one sentence
3.Analysis
    -Who did what, to who, and why
    -Paragraph 2-3 on important ones, less on less important
4.Conclusion
    -What was decided and why
   
Just make your briefs simple, pithy, and accurate.  Always ask "Why do we need this?"

The Book's Methods    Page 41
Format #1
1.Case Name and Cite
2.The Remedy
    -what the result was, not what was asked for
3.Cause of Action
    -what they are suing for
    -does not feel it is important to mention
        -assume it's about similar case
    -need for brevity
    -assume your audience is well educated (lawyer)
4.The Facts
    -Analysis of critical facts on the issue, law, conclusion
    -relevant to the determination of the case
    -be careful with language (his/her use terminology)
        -not always clear who plaintiff/defendant is
            -Appeals
            example: Smith v. Jones - Smith wins
                -Jones appeals   
                -Case becomes: Jones v. Smith
        -Same last names, use the first names
    -avoid excessive facts
5.Procedural History
    -how the course came
    -trial court proceedings and appellate court proceedings
        -he does not agree on this
        -all you need is the higher court, not the lower court
6.The Issue
    -the main legal question
    -does not always need to be stated as whether
        -examples:can you state action, will there be a remedy, should the court
    -the rule of law answers with yes or no (literally)
    -always answer your issue
        example: the issue is unconstitutional? Yes it is. Power of Article III
7.The Finding
    -Who won and why?
    -Interested in the prevailing position
        -Example: Can not expand the position of the Supreme Court for more power in Marbury v. Madison  Not that Madison won
8.The Reason
    -Why the court reached this conclusion?