• CHAPTER 1 INVESTIGATION AND PLANNING PRIOR TO COMMENCEMENT OF ACTION
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 1.01 Scope
• § 1.02 Procedural Context– The Litigator As Advocate And Fact Gatherer II INVESTIGATION AND PLANNING PRIOR TO COMMENCEMENT OF ACTION
• § 1.03 Checklist For Investigation And Planning Prior To Commencement Of Action
• § 1.04 Investigation And Planning Prior To Commencement Of Action
• § 1.05 Best Alternative To Negotiate Agreement (BATNA): Pretrial Litigation As Preparation For Settlement
• § 1.06 Initial Client Contact And Interview
• § 1.07 Legal Representation Agreements: Formalizing Relationships
• § 1.08 Duty To Investigate And Research Prior To Filing
• § 1.09 Identifying And Preserving Evidence
• § 1.10 Fact Witnesses
• § 1.11 Consultation With Expert Witnesses
• § 1.12 Depositions And Other Discovery Prior To Suit
• § 1.13 Conducting Initial Legal Research
• § 1.14 Developing Your Litigation Plan and Timetable
• § 1.15 Consideration Of Using Alternative Dispute Resolution
• § 1.16 Personal Jurisdiction
• § 1.17 Subject Matter Jurisdiction Of Specific Ohio Courts
• § 1.18 Venue
• § 1.19 Lis Pendens
• § 1.20 Statute Of Limitations III FORMS
• § 1.21 Legal Representation Agreement CHAPTER 2 THE COMPLAINT I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 2.01 Scope
• § 2.02 Procedural Context– The Complaint II THE COMPLAINT
• § 2.03 Checklist For The Complaint
• § 2.04 Purposes Of The Complaint– Procedural, Substantive And Tactical
• § 2.05 Rule Requirements
• § 2.06 Organizing Facts And Drafting The Complaint
• § 2.07 Pleading Alternative And Inconsistent Claims
• § 2.08 Form Of The Complaint– Rule Requirements
• § 2.09 Substantive Language Of The Complaint
• § 2.10 The Jury Demand
• § 2.11 Verified Complaints
• § 2.12 Filing And Serving Of Summons And Complaint
• § 2.13 Amending The Complaint
• III FORMS
• § 2.14 Complaint
• CHAPTER 3 RESPONSIVE PLEADINGS
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 3.01 Scope
• § 3.02 Procedural Context– Responsive Pleadings
• § 3.03 Checklist For Responsive Pleadings
• § 3.04 Purpose And Timing Of Responsive Pleadings
• § 3.05 Civil Rule 12(B) Motions
• § 3.06 Other Civil Rule 12 Motions
• § 3.07 Motion For Extension Of Time To Answer, Move Or Otherwise Plead
• § 3.08 Answer
• § 3.09 Affirmative Defenses Are Governed By Civil Rule 8(C)
• § 3.10 Cross-Claims
• § 3.11 Counterclaims
• § 3.12 Third-Party Practice– Impleader
• § 3.13 Rule 22 Interpleader
• § 3.14 Intervention
• II AMENDING PLEADINGS
• § 3.15 Amendment Of Pleadings
• § 3.16 Chart For Drafting Responsive Pleading
• III FORMS
• § 3.17 Motion To Dismiss For Lack Of Subject Matter Jurisdiction
• § 3.18 Motion To Dismiss For Lack Of Personal Jurisdiction
• § 3.19 Motion To Transfer For Improper Venue
• § 3.20 Motion To Dismiss For Insufficiency Of Process
• § 3.21 Motion To Dismiss For Failure To State A Claim Upon Which Relief Can Be Granted
• § 3.22 Motion To Dismiss For Failure To Join An Indispensable Party
• § 3.23 Motion For Judgment On The Pleadings
• § 3.24 Motion For A Definite Statement
• § 3.25 Defendant?s Motion To Strike
• § 3.26 Stipulation Extending Time For Defendant To Move, Answer Or Otherwise Plead
• § 3.27 Request For An Extension Of Time
• § 3.28 Motion For Enlargement Of Time
• § 3.29 Answer
• § 3.30 Cross-Claim
• § 3.31 Answer And Counterclaim
• § 3.32 Third-Party Complaint
• § 3.33 Motion For Leave To Intervene As A Defendant
• § 3.34 Motion For Leave To Amend
• CHAPTER 4 SCOPE OF FORMAL DISCOVERY
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 4.01 Scope
• § 4.02 Procedural Context– Scope Of Formal Discovery
• § 4.03 Checklist For Scope Of Formal Discovery
• § 4.04 Overview Of The Discovery Process
• § 4.05 Relevancy And Scope Of Discovery
• § 4.06 Insurance Agreements
• § 4.07 Discoverability Of Experts
• § 4.08 Privilege And Other Bars To Discovery CHAPTER 5 INTERROGATORIES I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 5.01 Scope
• § 5.02 Procedural Context– Interrogatories
• II UNDERSTANDING PURPOSE, SCOPE, AND USE OF INTERROGATORIES
• § 5.03 Checklist For Using Interrogatories
• § 5.04 Purpose Of Interrogatories
• § 5.05 Scope And Use Of Interrogatories
• III TIMING AND COORDINATING WITH OTHER DISCOVERY METHODS
• § 5.06 Timing And Coordination With Other Discovery Methods
• IV DRAFTING AND RESPONDING TO INTERROGATORIES
• § 5.07 Drafting Interrogatories
• § 5.08 Responding To Interrogatories
• V CHALLENGING RESPONSES AND SUPPLEMENTING ANSWERS TO INTERROGATORIES
• § 5.09 Challenging Responses To Interrogatories
• § 5.10 Supplementing Answers To Interrogatories
• VI MULTIPLE SETS OF INTERROGATORIES
• § 5.11 Multiple Sets Of Interrogatories
• VII FORMS
• § 5.12 Interrogatories
• CHAPTER 6 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS AND THINGS
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 6.01 Scope
• § 6.02 Procedural Context– Request For Production Of Documents And Things
• II CIVIL RULE 34
• § 6.03 Checklist For Requests For Production Of Documents And Things
• § 6.04 Purpose And Scope Of Civil Rule 34
• III TIMING AND COORDINATION WITH OTHER DISCOVERY METHODS
• § 6.05 Timing And Coordination With Other Discovery Methods
• IV REQUESTING PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS
• § 6.06 Investigation And Organization Prior To Serving Requests
• § 6.07 Drafting Requests For Production Of Documents
• V RESPONSES TO REQUESTS FOR PRODUCTION
• § 6.08 Responding To Requests For Production
• § 6.09 Reviewing And Challenging Responses To Requests For Production
• VI OBTAINING DOCUMENTS AND TANGIBLE THINGS FROM NON-PARTIES
• § 6.10 Obtaining Documents And Tangible Things From Non-Parties
• VII MULTIPLE REQUESTS FOR PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS
• § 6.11 Multiple Sets Of Requests For Production Of Documents And Things
• VIII FORMS
• § 6.12 Request For Production Of Documents
• CHAPTER 7 REQUESTS FOR ADMISSION
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 7.01 Scope
• § 7.02 Procedural Context– Requests For Admission
• II CIVIL RULE 36
• § 7.03 Checklist For Requests For Admission
• § 7.04 Purpose and Scope of Civil Rule 36 Is To Compel Admission Of Matters Which Ought To Be Admitted
• III TIMING AND COORDINATION WITH OTHER DISCOVERY METHODS
• § 7.05 Timing And Coordination With Other Discovery Devices
• IV DRAFTING AND RESPONDING TO REQUESTS FOR ADMISSION
• § 7.06 Drafting Requests For Admission
• § 7.07 Responding To Requests For Admission
• V CONSEQUENCES OF DENYING OR ADMITTING REQUESTS FOR ADMISSION
• § 7.08 Consequences Of Denying Or Admitting Requests For Admission
• VI CHALLENGING, CHANGING, OR AMENDING RESPONSES TO REQUESTS FOR ADMISSION
• § 7.09 Challenging Responses To Requests For Admission
• § 7.10 Changing Or Amending Responses To Requests For Admission
• VII MULTIPLE SETS OF REQUESTS FOR ADMISSION
• § 7.11 Multiple Sets Of Requests For Admission
• VIII FORMS
• § 7.12 Requests For Admission
• CHAPTER 8 PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXAMINATION OF PERSONS
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 8.01 Scope
• § 8.02 Procedural Context– Physical And Mental Examinations
• II CIVIL RULE 35
• § 8.03 Checklist For Physical And Mental Examinations
• § 8.04 Requirements And Scope Of Civil Rule 35
• III GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES FOR EXAMINATIONS
• § 8.05 Selecting Examiners
• § 8.06 Requesting Examinations
• § 8.07 Defending Against Motions For Examinations
• § 8.08 Persons Permitted To Be Present During Examinations
• IV EXCHANGING REPORTS
• § 8.09 Exchange Of Reports
• V MULTIPLE EXAMINATIONS
• § 8.10 Multiple Examinations
• VI FORMS
• § 8.11 Motion For Physical Examination
• CHAPTER 9 TAKING AND DEFENDING DEPOSITIONS
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 9.01 Scope
• § 9.02 Procedural Context– Taking And Defending Depositions
• II PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF DEPOSITIONS
• § 9.03 Checklist For Taking And Defending Depositions
• § 9.04 Purpose And Scope Of Depositions
• III TIMING AND COORDINATION WITH OTHER DISCOVERY METHODS
• § 9.05 Timing And Coordination With Other Discovery Devices
• IV PRE-DEPOSITION FACTORS AND MECHANICS
• § 9.06 Factors In Deciding Whether To Take Depositions
• § 9.07 Mechanics Of Noticing And Scheduling Depositions
• V PREPARING TO TAKE A DEPOSITION
• § 9.08 Preparing To Take Depositions
• VI DEPOSITION SETTINGS
• § 9.09 Lawyer Demeanor At Depositions
• § 9.10 Room And Seating Arrangements
• VII INSTRUCTIONS, TESTIMONY, AND OBJECTIONS IN DEPOSITIONS
• § 9.11 Initial Instructions To the Deponent
• § 9.12 The Deposition as Document
• § 9.13 Consultation Between Deponent and Counsel
• § 9.14 Summarizing Contradictory And Disjointed Testimony
• § 9.15 Handling Verbose Or Argumentative Witnesses
• § 9.16 Speaking Objections And Other Interferences
• § 9.17 Tenacity And Gumption In Questioning
• § 9.18 Going Off The Record
• § 9.19 Instructions Not To Answer
• § 9.20 Substantive Objections At Depositions
• VIII DOCUMENTS IN DEPOSITIONS
• § 9.21 Documents And Other Exhibits
• IX PREPARING AND DEFENDING WITNESSES
• § 9.22 Preparing And Defending Witnesses At Depositions
• § 9.23 Examining Your Own Witness
• X ENDING DEPOSITIONS
• § 9.24 Conduct At The End Of Depositions
• XI TRANSCRIPTS
• § 9.25 Reading, Correcting and Signing Transcripts
• XII DEPOSITION BY WRITTEN INTERROGATORIES
• § 9.26 Deposition By Written Interrogatories
• XIII FORMS
• § 9.27 Notice Of Deposition
• CHAPTER 10 ELECTRONIC DISCOVERY
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 10.01 Scope
• § 10.02 Procedural Context– Electronic Discovery
• § 10.03 Checklist For Conducting Electronic Discovery
• § 10.04 Civil Rules Governing Electronic Discovery
• § 10.05 The Case Law Governing Electronic Discovery In Ohio
• § 10.06 Developing Law Of Electronically Stored Information In Other Jurisdictions
• CHAPTER 11 JUDICIAL INTERVENTION IN THE DISCOVERY PROCESS
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 11.01 Scope
• § 11.02 Procedural Context– Judicial Intervention In The Discovery Process
• § 11.03 Checklist For Judicial Intervention In The Discovery Process
• § 11.04 Discovery Abuse And Remedies
• § 11.05 Preference For Judicial Non-Intervention
• II PROTECTIVE ORDERS
• § 11.06 Protective Orders
• III COMPELLING AND ENFORCING DISCOVERY
• § 11.07 Compelling Discovery And Obtaining Sanctions
• § 11.08 Enforcing Discovery From Non-Parties
• IV FORMS
• § 11.09 Motion To Compel Discovery
• § 11.10 Motion for Sanctions
• CHAPTER 12 PRETRIAL MOTION PRACTICE
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 12.01 Scope
• § 12.02 Procedural Context– Pretrial Motion Practice
• II OVERVIEW OF MOTION PRACTICE
• § 12.03 Checklist For Pretrial Motion Practice
• § 12.04 Overview Of Motion Practice
• § 12.05 Timing Of Pretrial Motions
• III PREPARING, DRAFTING, AND RESPONDING TO MOTIONS
• § 12.06 Preparation
• § 12.07 Mechanics And Form
• § 12.08 Drafting Motions
• § 12.09 Responding To Motions
• IV MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
• § 12.10 Motions For Summary Judgment
• V ORAL ARGUMENTS
• § 12.11 Effective Oral Argument
• VI APPEALING RULINGS ON PRETRIAL LITIGATION
• § 12.12 Appeal Of Rulings On Pretrial Motions
• VII FORMS
• § 12.13 Motion For Summary Judgment
• § 12.14 Memorandum In Opposition To Motion For Summary Judgment
• CHAPTER 13 PRETRIAL CONFERENCES AND SETTLEMENT
• I PROCEDURAL CONTEXT
• § 13.01 Scope
• § 13.02 Procedural Context– Pretrial Conferences and Settlement
• II THE REQUIREMENTS OF PRETRIAL CONFERENCES AND SETTLEMENT
• § 13.03 Checklist For Pretrial Conferences And Settlement
• § 13.04 Requirements Of Pretrial Conferences
• § 13.05 Pretrial Statements
• III JUDICIAL APPROACHES TO PRETRIAL CONFERENCES
• § 13.06 Judicial Approaches To Pretrial Conferences
• IV STRATEGIES, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES AT FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCES
• § 13.07 Strategies, Goals and Objectives at the Final Pretrial Conference
• V EVALUATING THE CASE
• § 13.08 Evaluating Your Case
• VI EFFECTIVE SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS
• § 13.09 Arm Twisting And Other Judicial Settlement Techniques
• § 13.10 Effective Settlement Negotiations
• VII DRAFTING AND ENFORCING SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS AND RELATED DOCUMENTS
• § 13.11 Drafting Settlement Agreements And Related Documents
• § 13.12 Enforcing Settlement Agreements
• VIII STRUCTURED SETTLEMENTS
• § 13.13 Structured Settlements
• IX FORMS
• § 13.14 Mandatory Pretrial Statement
• § 13.15 Settlement Agreement and Release
• § 13.16 Structured Settlement Agreement
• Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure
• Table of Cases

Michael L. Cioffi

Michael L. Cioffi is a partner in Rome Blank in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law in Cincinnati, Ohio.