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Anatomy of a Lawsuit
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Anatomy of a Lawsuit
What Every Education Leader Should Know About Legal Actions


October 2005 | 160 pages | Corwin

Arm yourself with the facts educators need to respond effectively when litigation is imminent!

While jury trials are popularly construed as criminal matters, it is civil litigation that increasingly involves the participation of school educators. In recent instances, education leaders have been parties to, or participants in, legal cases ranging from employee discrimination to alleged criminal negligence. In response to this trend, legal experts and frequent consultants to attorneys Robert Shoop, a network news program regular on legal topics, and Dennis Dunklee, a 2005 participant in the Oxford University Roundtable on Education Law, have authored this indispensable text to arm educators with the essential information they need to understand and prepare for potential litigation.

Five sections cover the legal basics necessary to:

  • Understand the court and jury system
  • Support and work effectively with attorneys
  • Appreciate the nuances of litigation
  • Reduce the potential risk of litigation by understanding and practicing preventive law
  • Assist in the legal process by serving as an expert witness

With this essential resource, educational leaders can learn how to prepare effectively, respond appropriately, and help achieve positive outcomes when faced with litigation.  


 
Advisement
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Introduction
 
Section I. A Review of the Legal Environment and the Function of Law
 
1. Why Me?
 
2. Overview of the Organization of Courts and the Legal Environment
 
Section II. The Process of Litigation
 
3. Annie’s Case
 
4. The Litigation Process
 
5. Working With an Attorney: Attorneys’ Considerations in Deciding Whether to Accept a Case
 
6. Courtroom Environment: You May Feel Small
 
7. The Trial
 
8. Managing and Surviving Litigation Stress
 
Section III. Verdict and Analysis
 
9. Smith v. Red Ridge Unified School District No. 435 (Annie’s Case)
 
Section IV. Your Role as an Expert Witness
 
10. Serving as an Expert Witness
 
Section V. Managing Your Risk of Litigation
 
11. Concluding Thoughts
 
Index

"This is a remarkable book. The authors provide concise, user-friendly descriptions of the various players in civil lawsuits and a definition of their roles and functions."

PsycCRITIQUES, April 2006

"In their timely and terse treatise, the authors assert that school leaders should view litigation as a routine function of successful practitioners who, in our increasingly litigious society, must be fully cognizant of basic principles of civil and criminal law."

The School Administrator, October 2007
Key features

-          Legal essentials for every busy administrator

-          Guides principals on legal action and on doing the right thing – always

-          Offers real-life scenarios and examples of success and failure as models

Sample Materials & Chapters

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1


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ISBN: 9781452235776

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