Civil Procedure Before 1L: Discovery, Privilege, Experts, Summary Judgment, and Pretrial Resolution

Civil Procedure Before 1L: Discovery, Privilege, Experts, Summary Judgment, and Pretrial Resolution

From Law School by The Law School of America

June 13, 2026 · 49 min

About this episode

This episode provides a comprehensive guide to the critical pretrial phases of civil litigation, focusing on discovery and summary judgment.

➔ 📘VIEW THE COMPANION STUDY GUIDE📘 [💡FREE💡] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ EPISODE SUMMARY Understanding Civil Litigation Mechanics: Discovery and Summary Judgment in Focus This episode offers a comprehensive guide to the critical pretrial phases of civil litigation. It explains how courts and attorneys manage evidence, testimony, and procedural standards to efficiently resolve cases before trial. Essential for law students and practitioners, it reframes litigation as a strategic, evidence-based process. Most civil litigation isn't decided in court—it's engineered long before the trial begins. In this episode, we peel back the curtain on the hidden machinery that shapes how cases are built, tested, and resolved behind the scenes. When you picture a lawsuit, you might imagine a clear-cut moment of truth, like a jaw-dropping courtroom reveal. But the reality is far messier—and strategically designed. We explore how the discovery process functions as a rigorous digital dragnet, forcing parties to exchange relevant facts, documents, and even digital breadcrumbs—essentially peeling back layers of a case to reveal the truth. You'll discover how rules like Rule 26 establish boundaries…

Topics covered

  • Civil Procedure
  • Discovery
  • Summary Judgment
  • Pretrial Resolution
  • Civil Litigation Mechanics
  • Evidence Management

Keywords

  • civil litigation
  • discovery process
  • summary judgment
  • evidence management
  • pretrial phases
  • Rule 26
  • depositions
  • interrogatories

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Law School of America

Books & works: Civil Procedure Before 1L

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