Customer Reviews

California Civil Litigation (West Legal Studies)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The title of my review says it all: the text and the study guide were fine at the time they were published in 1996, but this is 2004 and a great deal has changed in California's court system from the vantage of civil procedure. The publisher should have updated this book no later than 2000 when the courts were administratively unified; additionally, local and state rules of procedure have been dramatically altered to place greater emphasis on ADR (alternative dispute resolution) and the rules regarding Fast-track litigation have likewise undergone significant changes.

In short, a book which purports to teach the nuts and bolts of litigation procedure needs to be revised whenever there are major changes in the procedural law, as has been the case in California.

With that said, the examples, the case studies, and the explanations make this Study Guide an invaluable companion to the main textbook.

I planned to sue someone and represent myself in court without a lawyer. This book was the most useful of several I purchased. The updates were easy to place in the looseleafe book, the instructons were thorough and easy to understand.

Ultimately I won my case. This book allowed me to avoid some very simple but very stupid mistakes I would have made without this reference guide.

I also have shopped on many other sites besides Amazon, but even when the price might be a slight bit more (not often) I find the mechanics of the ordering process, including one-step purchases, to be superior to any other web site where you can purchase anything.

I like the options for shipping and the followup service for tracking and asking for these very written reviews.

All in all, a good book from a great shopping experience.

Karl Loren, Author

I bought this book in preference over several other self help law books I examined after I fired my lawyer and went in pro per. Lots of really helpful, accessible, thorough, and friendly information. In fact it was so good that I promised myself I would write its first online review. You won't get much help on how to act in court, though, as only attorneys can do that and not paralegals, who it was written for. But don't listen to me I'm not an attorney. My lesson in all of this was to stay out of court in the first place.

This book is awesome, but do not get the kindle version if you need the study guide - it isn't included...FALSE ADVERTISEMENT

If you are anywhere in the management chain of command of a company (all the way to CEO) and doing business in California (the most litigious state in the most litigious country) this book will give you an excellent idea of what your attorneys should and should not be doing. Because it is written for paralegals it is easy to understand and explains/defines much of the legal jargon. Unfortunately you cannot rely on county and state agencies to protect your company so you had better arm yourself with some knowledge!

the good thing about the item is that i recieved it quickly. The bad thing is i also needed the textbook that went with the study guide and there was no information regarding the textbook. Even on the new books section they are only selling the study guide. Be aware of that. I ended up having to purchase the set of books from the student library because i needed the book right away.

As a credentialed litigation paralegal, I consider this one of the most important manuals on California civil litigation. Susan Luten has written it in an easy and approachable style. It reflects her dedication and many years as a practicing attorney. Get this while you can because she is retired from the legal profession and it will likely be the last edition.

The book is not a substitute for substantive law, legal research and writing. However, it provides an in-depth approach to civil litigation and provides many excellent exhibits of pleadings.

Law and motion is a complex subject and Susan Lutan has covered it in concise and practical manner, which will open the door to further study on the part of the student or paralegal.

Truly, one of the best books ever written on the subject.

Don't use the study guide to reinforce what you read in the textbook. There are constant conflicts in what the study guide has as an answer and what is written in the textbook. Many questions are extremely ambiguous with more than one correct answer. Very frustrating.