It is, however, an extremely helpful hornbook to have and use during your first-year course on Civil Procedure. If you're a One-L, buy this early and use it often; it'll go with pretty much whatever casebook you happen to be using (mine was Yeazell). It's extremely well-designed and its discussions are clear and sound.

If you're looking around in order to decide whether you need a hornbook at all, the answer is: yes, you probably do. There may be students who can squeeze a profitable education out of the "casebook" approach, but I'm not one of them and you probably aren't either.

During your first semester, it will be tempting to spend a lot of time briefing cases. Don't let me talk you out of doing so, or you'll be really mad at me the first time you get called on unprepared. But you'll probably be better off spending a little less time briefing and a little more time reading this hornbook first.


Arizona State Law Student   August 9, 2000
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

This is the most helpful study aid available for Civil Procedure! The text is very easy to understand and it is orgainized to follow the progression of the law school course. The authors do an excellent job of explaining the development of personal jurisdiction and subject matter jurisdiction to the present day. It also does a fine job of explaining the federal rules (and includes an index of each FRCP and where it is cited).


An excellent source for information to supplement a casebook   May 4, 2000
 11 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is another in the long line of hornbooks from West publishing. It is an excellent source to supplement and even embellish the law of Civil Procedure contained in whichever casebook you are using. Since most Civil Procedure courses are a year long, I would strongly recommend investing in this hornbook, it is very handy to have when outlining and preparing for finals.