Paralegal Career For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 7

How It’s Done: Important Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence

IN THIS CHAPTER

Seeing the difference between the laws governing procedure and other laws

Getting familiar with important federal civil procedure rules

Figuring out the procedures of your state

Knowing the federal rules regarding evidence

The cause of action may differ, but for every criminal case and every civil case, the system has specific procedural and evidence rules that must be followed. The rules are designed to make sure that court proceedings are fair and that evidence gets admitted in court that’s relevant to the case and not unnecessarily prejudicial to either party. Without procedural rules, properly applying the substantive laws of society would be impossible. Because the majority of paralegals work in civil law, this chapter focuses on procedural law for civil cases. In researching either the rules of civil procedure or evidence, it’s critical that you, as the paralegal, check for any amendments or modifications to these rules prior to relying upon them in research.

Distinguishing Between Procedural ...