A party must have suffered a legal injury and have a sufficient stake in the

A party must have suffered a legal injury and have a sufficient “stake” in the controversy Ohio State Courts State supreme courts has the greatest authority amongst the state courts The state appellate courts have the next highest authority State trial courts have the least authority Federal Court System U.S. District Courts (trial courts of general jurisdiction U.S. Courts of Appeal: 13 courts representing district courts t/o the country U.S. Supreme Court: highest court Alternative Dispute Resolution

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Negotiation Informal, sometimes w/o attorneys, where differences are discussed w/ the goal of “meeting of the minds” in resolving the case Successful negotiation involves thorough preparation *Mediation Involves neutral 3 rd party “mediator” Mediator talks face to face w/ parties (in different rooms) to determine “common ground” Advantages: few rules, customize process, parties control results (win-win) Disadvantages: mediator fees, no sanctions or deadlines *Arbitration More formal ADR Neutral 3 rd party renders a legally-binding decision Usually the arbitrator is an expert or well-respected gov official Federal Arbitration Act: parties can agree to have decision confirmed in fed. Court. FAA covers any arbitration clause in an interstate commerce Issue of Arbitrability: party compels arbitration and court resolves the issue of whether arbitration is required Mandatory Arbitration in the Employment Context: many claim workers are not sufficiently protected with mandatory arbitration for employment issues Following a State Court Case Pleadings Plantiff’s Complaint: Court acquires jurisdiction over subject matter & Plantiff Facts: what happened Prayer: Court relief Defendant’s Answer: response to allegations, must admit or deny each allegation in the complaint May file counterclaim against plaintiff May file affirmative defense Motion to Dismiss: either party (normally defendant) can ask the court to dismiss the case if the pleadings fail to show a legal claim Pretrial Motions

Motion for judgment on the Pleadings: asks the court to rule on the case, based on the pleadings Motion for Summary Judgment: asks a court to grant a judgment for moving party w/o a trial. Facts are viewed in the light most favorable to other party Discovery Process by which parties obtain info from the opposing p party prior to trial Depositions and Interrogatories Requests for Other Info Electronic Discovery (E-Evidence): FRCP deals specifically w/ preservation, retrieval, and production of electronic data Pretrial Conference