General Litigation Newsletters

Jury Deliberations

The American system of justice generally allows litigants (the parties involved in a lawsuit) to choose between a jury trial and a bench trial. In a jury trial, the jury decides questions of fact and the judge applies the law. In a bench trial, the judge determines all questions of law and also decides all questions of fact. This article discusses the jury deliberation process.

Mental Health Courts

Specialized courts, called mental health courts, have been set up to deal with individuals entering the criminal justice system who have mental illness or a mental disability. Currently, about 30 states have mental health courts in selected jurisdictions. Juvenile mental health courts, handling delinquency cases involving mentally ill juveniles, are planned in some states.

Rules of Statutory Interpretation

If the interpretation of a particular law becomes an issue in a case, the court must rely on rules of statutory interpretation or construction in deciding the law's meaning. This article discusses the main rules of statutory interpretation or construction.

The Effect of a Judgment in a Civil Lawsuit

When a court of competent jurisdiction renders a final judgment on the merits of a case, the judgment is conclusive between the parties as to the claims, facts, and issues litigated in the case.

The Judicial Conference of the United States

In 1922, the United States Congress created a body called the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges to administer the federal judiciary. In 1948, Congress passed additional legislation and changed the name of the governing body to the Judicial Conference of the United States. The Judicial Conference handles the administrative matters of the federal court system.