Civil Rights Litigation Part III: Pleadings and Discovery

In this course, the third of a multi-part series on litigating civil rights cases, Ameer Benno, a New York City-based civil rights attorney, explains the pleading and discovery process in civil rights cases. Learn how to draft the best possible pleading in your civil rights case, and get real life tips and strategies to help gather evidence and navigate the discovery process.

Learning Objectives:

I.     Understand who should be named as a party defendant in a civil rights lawsuit, and what remedies should be pleaded

II.    Compare the pleading requirements in federal court with those in state court as they relate to civil rights actions, and familiarize yourself with different pleading techniques

III.   Identify rules governing amendment of pleadings and the “relation back” doctrine

IV.   Become acquainted with the discovery procedures and tools most useful in civil rights actions

V.    Review the differences between the federal and state court discovery process, and learn how these differences can impact a civil rights lawsuit