Rights do not enforce themselves!

Your first Right is the right to know how to enforce your rights. This pro se litigation law course will provide the student with the knowledge to both prosecute others (plaintiff) and defend oneself in both state and federal courts, civil or criminal. Or, if you hire an attorney, this same legal knowledge will protect you from unscrupulous lawyers..

HOW TO STUDY THIS LAW COURSE

It's important not to jump around, this law course builds upon itself from previous lessons. It is recommend you first read the entire course from beginning to end like a Perry Mason Novel. Upon completion your first thought will be “This is easy, I need to go back and study!” After studying the law course, in order to be prepared, it's suggested you review it at least once a year.

Index

1. Introduction (Open)

• The Most Important Thing

• Dealing with Lawyers and Judges

• Every Kind of Case

2, Surviving In Court (Open)

• Just Fit the Parts Together

• Simplicity is Power

• Just What You Need

• The Law of Your Case

• Rules of Procedure

• Rules of Evidence

• The Power of Objections

• Moving the Court

3. Essential Elements (Open)

• What You Must Prove to Win

• Court Chemistry

• Finding Essential Elements

• Criminal Case Elements

• Civil Case Elements for Plaintiffs

• Civil Case Elements for Defendants

• Common Law Case Elements

• Statutory Case Elements

• Cases in Equity Elements

• How to Allege Elements

• Prove Facts, Not Elements

• Move for Final Judgment

4. Planning Your Case (Open)

• Planning Overview

• Keeping Track

• Planning for Plaintiffs

• Planning for Defendants

• Planning for Criminal Defendants

• Going Forward with Your Case

5. Evidence (Open)

• The Filter that Wins Lawsuits

• Purpose

• The Rules Are Fair

• How Evidence Works

• Evidence Rule Categories

• Admissibility

• Offers of Proof

• Hearing of the Court

• Preliminary Questions

• Remainder of Writings

• Judicial Notice

• Presumptions

• Inferences

• Relevance

• Prejudice

• Repetitive Evidence

• Character Evidence

• Privilege

• Opinion Testimony

• Hearsay

• Affidavits and the Hearsay Rules

• Exceptions to the Hearsay Rule

• Authentication

• Application

• Discovery

• Testimony by Attorneys

• Dealing with Perjury

• Direct and Cross-Examination

• Circumstantial Evidence

• Motions in Limine

6. Objections (Open)

• Preserving Your Rights

• Helping Judges Rule

• Why Object?

• Whose Rules Rule?

• Some Common Sense

• Preparing for Appeal

• Prejudice

• Qualification of Witnesses

• Relevance

• Speculation

7. Pleadings (Open)

• Where the Battle Begins

• What Pleadings Do

• Motions Directed to the Pleadings

8. Complaints (Open)

• Complaints in General

• Petition

• Single-Count Complaint

• Multi-Count Complaint

• Discovery by Complaint

• Pleading Paragraphs

9. Answers (Open)

• Responding to the Complaint

• Simple Answer

• Answer & Counter-Claim

• Answer & Cross-Claim

• Answer & Third-Party Complaint

• Answer & Affirmative Defenses

• Petition

• The Importance of Objections

• When to Object

• Grounds for Objections

• When Not to Object

• Putting Objections to Work

• Objections at Depositions

• Renewing Objections

• When a Judge Won't Rule

• Objection Classifications

• Asked & Answered

• Badgering

• Best Evidence Rule

• Competence

• Counsel Testifying

• Facts Not in Evidence

• Hearsay

• Impeachment

• Outside the Pleadings

10. Affirmative Defenses (Open)

• Defendant's Right to Fight Back

• Pleading Affirmative Defenses

• Dangerous Defenses

• Absolute Immunity

• Accord and Satisfaction

• Act of God

• Alibi

• Arbitration and Award

• Assumption of Risk

• Coercion

• Comparative Negligence

• Consent

• Contributory Negligence

• Discharge in Bankruptcy

• Duress

• Economic Loss Rule

• Estoppel

• Failure of Consideration

• Failure to Demand

• Failure to Join Indispensable Party

• Failure to Post Bond

• Failure to State Cause of Action

• Fraud

• Futile Act

• Good Samaritan

• Illegality

• Impossibility

• Improper Venue

• Injury by Fellow Servant

• Insufficiency of Process

• Insufficiency of Service of Process

• Irreparable Harm

• Laches

• Lack of Jurisdiction over Person

• Lack of Jurisdiction over Subject Matter

• License

• No Prior Course of Dealing

• Payment

• Release

• Res Judicata

• Self-Defense

• Sham

• Statute of Frauds

• Statute of Limitations

• Unclean Hands

• Unconscionability

• Waiver

11. Discovery (Open)

• What is Discovery

• What Can Be Discovered?

• Planning Discovery

• Evidence

• Written v. Spoken

• Request for Admissions

• Request for Production

• Interrogatories

• Depositions

• Subpoenas and Court Orders

• Filing Your Evidence

12. Motions and Hearings (Open)

• Getting the Court to Act

• The Right to be Heard

• Motions in General

• Spoken Motions

• Written Motions

• Motions in State Court

• Motions in Federal Court

• Frequently Used Motions

• Certificate of Good Faith

• Scheduling Hearings

• Noticing Hearings

• Arguing Motions at Hearings

13. Sample Legal Forms (Open)

• Complaint

• Motion to Dismiss the Complaint

• Motion to Strike the Complaint

• Motion for a More Definite Statement of the Complaint

• Answer

• Affirmative Defenses

• Reply to Affirmative Defenses

• Request for Admissions

• Request for Production

• Interrogatories

• Forms to Schedule Depositions

• Subpoenas

• Motion to Compel Production

• Motion to Compel Better Answers to Interrogatories

• Motion to Deem Admissions Admitted for All Purposes

• Motion to Compel Attendance

• Motion to Show Cause

• Motion for Contempt

• Memoranda (Briefs)

• Notices

• Notice for Trial

• Pre-Trial Stipulation

• Motion in Limine

• Jury Instructions

• Court Orders