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What to Do After You File Your Lawsuit: Making a Discovery Plan

Once you file a lawsuit, you’ll have to make a number of decisions -- and meet a number of deadlines -- before your case actually goes to trial. One of the most important pretrial procedures is "discovery" -- the formal process by which you gather information, documents, and other evidence relevant to your case. Discovery takes two forms: "informal investigation" and "formal discovery," which includes written questionnaires and interviews under oath.

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Tips for Success in the Courtroom

  1. Meet your deadlines.
  2. Watch some trials.
  3. Choose a judge or jury trial.
  4. Learn the ropes.
  5. Learn the elements of your case.
  6. Make sure your evidence is admissible.
  7. Prepare a trial notebook.
  8. Be respectful.
  9. Don't interrupt.
  10. Assert yourself.

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pro per

A term derived from the Latin in propria, meaning "for one's self," used in some states to describe a person who handles her own case without a lawyer. In other states, the term pro se is used. When a nonlawyer files his own legal papers, he is expected to write "in pro per" at the bottom of the heading on the first page.

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