TWO v. THREE-UNIT COURSE? As stated in the Preface to the Teacher's Manual, this casebook provides materials appropriate for teaching either a two- or three-unit course in California Civil Procedure. We assume that professors using this book will be teaching either two or three "hours" per week for fourteen weeks. We know that the number of units available for the first-year federal procedure course varies, usually from four to six units. This variation will influence what a professor plans to accomplish with the state civil procedure course. Regardless of the unit value you choose, our presentation of materials will allow you to focus on differences between state and federal procedure.

We teach both a two and a three-unit upper division California Civil Procedure course. We do so in both fifty minute and seventy-five minute time blocks. For your convenience, we designed two sample syllabi, which you can reach by clicking on the above icons. But first, we wanted to provide a brief overview of the general approaches for each sample syllabus. We recommend that you read the comments immediately below, if you have not yet made the two- versus three-unit choice.

TWO-UNIT SYLLABUS: If your law school offers a unit-rich first-year course, your upper-division coverage of state civil procedure might be limited a two-unit format. If your law school offers a less comprehensive federal procedure course, this advanced course provides the ideal opportunity to shore up the gaps. Some professors may therefore prefer to focus on subjects that are either: (a) not addressed in depth in the federal procedure course; or (b) are topics where federal and state practice are especially divergent.

The sample two-unit syllabus touches upon the majority of subjects included in the casebook. In order to adapt the material for a two-unit course, however, Chapter 7 on Securing and Enforcing Judgments has been omitted in its entirety. Also, some topics on this particular syllabus are not in the same order as they appear in the casebook. Some subjects have been condensed by omitting certain subtopics (e.g., mediation, standing to appeal); or, by assigning a reduced amount of reading material in certain areas. Other topics have been omitted or condensed because they are covered in the first-year course, particularly where state practice does not differ notably from federal.

THREE-UNIT SYLLABUS: Your law school might not cover federal civil procedure in two semesters--or may do so with fewer than six units. Even if your law school has the luxury of a two-semester, six-unit survey course, there are remarkably important topics that are not covered in the federal casebook that you may desire to cover in a California procedure course. Likely topics include: limited v. unlimited civil cases; a comprehensive treatment of "Doe" defendant practice; SLAPP motions to strike; limitations on the pleading and discovery of punitive damages; "998" offers of judgment; nonsuit; and California's primary rights approach to res judicata. One also has the option of incorporating more practice exercises in a three-unit course. The continuing Chapter One Edible Widget problem offers one method of doing so. Further applications, based on the Notes and Questions following the principal cases, can of course be covered in a three-unit format.

The sample three-unit syllabus is premised upon two seventy-five minute classes per week. One can readily manipulate this sample syllabus for application to a three-class per week format. This syllabus also assumes, as the Teacher's Manual notes, that the instructor will "teach the material at a more comfortable pace" than is possible in the two-unit version of this course.