FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF LAW
Professor Judge Jose M. Rodriguez
Fall Semester – 2024
FLORIDA CIVIL PRACTICE
SYLLABUS
Required Textbook
Florida
Civil
Practice
LAW
7303
U10
9781531013172
Florida
Civil
Ramirez
Carolina
Library Procedure: and
Academic 3rd
Cases and Rodriguez Press
Materials
Required
ATTENTION
THIS COURSE HAS AN OPEN BOOK FINAL EXAM. THE LAW SCHOOL WILL
NOT LET YOU USE AN E-BOOK COPY OF THE TEXTBOOK AT THE FINAL
EXAM. THEY WILL ONLY LET YOU USE A HARD COPY OF THE TEXTBOOK.
Optional
Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, published by the Florida Bar, latest edition;
Florida Civil Procedure Manual, published by Mathew Bender/Lexis-Nexis, by Judge Jose M. Rodriguez
Further handouts and materials will be available at http://www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool/webcourses/or on
the Canvas Shell.
Course Outline and Objectives
This course will examine basic Florida Civil Practice and is designed to provide students with an
introduction to the Florida judicial process and procedure governing civil litigation using Florida Civil
Procedure rules and interpreting case law. The course focuses on pre-trial and post-trial procedures,
including pleading, discovery, summary judgment, judicial case management, motion practice and appeal.
The course also will introduce students to the concepts of personal and subject-matter jurisdiction, choice of
law, and the effects of final judgment.
Preparation & Participation
You are expected to read and think about the assigned material before each class. Likewise, you are
expected to contribute to the classroom discussions on both a voluntary and involuntary basis. Your
participation may impact your grade at the margins. That does not mean that more talking is better. It does
mean that preparation is expected; regular participation and that the nature of your participation is expected
to be at a high level, such that your contributions are genuinely contributions to your classmates.
Certification
“I certify that I have evaluated my syllabi for my Florida Civil Practice course to ensure that the
required coursework reasonably approximates the amount of work required by the Bylaws definition
of ‘credit hours.’”
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Students with special needs who require accommodations must first contact the
Disability Resource Center in the Graham Center, Room 190 or by telephone at 305‐348‐
3532. The DRC shall determine and administer the accommodation(s) to be given and
will communicate directly with LSI staff and faculty. For more information on the
Disability Resource Center, please visit http://drc.fiu.edu/
[More detailed reading assignments can be found at the end of this syllabus]
1. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW Read FCP CHAPTER 1
Actions; Pre-Filing Considerations
2. RULES OF PROCEDURE FCP CHAPTER 2
1. Statute of Limitations
2. Tolling
3. Statutes of Repose
4. Medical Malpractice
3. JURISDICTION FCP CH. 3
A. SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION FLA CONST. ART. V.
F.R.A.P. 9.030
1.
Supreme Court
2.
District Courts
3.
Circuit Courts
4.
Jurisdictional Amounts
B.
JURISDICTION OVER PERSONS FCP CH. 3, §3.3
1.
General vs. Specific
2.
Personal
3.
In Rem FCP CH. 3, §3.4
4.
Quasi In Rem
4. VENUE FCP CH. 4
1.
2.
FLA. STAT. §47
Local v. Transitory Actions
Specific Venue Situations
5. SERVICE OF PROCESS FCP CH. 5
1.
Requirements FRCP 1.070
2.
Mechanics FLA.STAT. §48
3.
Personal Service
4.
Service by Publication
6. PLEADINGS AND MOTIONS FCP CHAPTER 6
A. IN GENERALFRCP 1.100 – 1.110
1.
Formalities
2.
Style
3.
Ultimate Fact Pleading
B.
COMPLAINT FCP CHAPTER 6
1.
Description
2.
Contents
3.
Relief
4.
Special Pleading
C. DEFENSE MOTIONS FRCP 1.140
1.
Types
2.
Procedure
3.
Consolidation
4.
Waiver
D. ANSWER
1.
Description
2.
Contents
3.
Affirmative Defenses
4.
Time
5.
Sufficiency
7. COUNTERCLAIMS, CROSS-CLAIMS AND THIRD PARTY PRACTICEA.
COUNTERCLAIMS FCP CHAPTER 7
1.
Compulsory
2.
Permissive
3.
Jurisdiction
4.
Transfer
B. CROSS-CLAIMS FCP CHAPTER 7
1.
Contents FRCP 1.170
2.
Traditions
C. THIRD PARTY PRACTICE
8. AMENDMENTS TO PLEADINGS FCP CHAPTER 8
1.
Pleadings FRCP 1.190
2.
Additional Parties
3.
Relation Back
4.
Response to Amendments
9. PARTIES FCP CHAPTER 9
A.
B.
C.
CAPACITYFRCP 1.210
REAL PARTY TO INTEREST
JOINER FRCP 1.250
1.
Adding
2.
Dropping
3.
Consolidations FRCP 1.270
NECESSARY AND INDISPENSABLE PARTIES
E. INTERVENTION FRCP 1.230
F. INTERPLEADER FRCP 1.240
G. IMPLEADER – 3RD PARTY PRACTICE FRCP 1.180
1.
Theory
2.
Defines
3.
Other Claims
4.
Res Judicata
H. CLASS ACTIONS FRCP 1.220
1.
Requirements
2.
Types
3.
Pleading Requirements
I. SUBSTITUTION FRCP 1.260
10.DISCOVERY FCP CH. 10
A. PURPOSE AND SCOPE FRCP 1.280
1.
Relevancy
2.
Admissibility
3.
Work-Product Rule
4.
Experts FRCP 1.390
5.
Insurance
6.
Income Tax Returns
7.
Financial Worth
8.
Others
B.
OVERVIEW – SEQUENCE, TIMING, PLAN, GENERAL
C.
DISCOVERY VEHICLES
1. Oral Depositions FRCP 1.310
2. Written Depositions FRCP 1.320
3. Interrogatories to Parties FRCP 1.320
4. Production of Documents or
Things FRCP 1.350 &
1.351
5. Physical and Mental Examination FRCP 1.360
6. Request for Admission
D. USE OF DEPOSITIONS FRCP 1.290
1.
At Trial FRCP 1.330
2.
Impeachments
3.
Perpetuate Testimony
E. ENFORCEMENT AND SANCTIONS FRCP 1.400 –FRCP 1.380
F.COSTS
11.DISMISSAL OF ACTIONS FCP CH. 11
A. VOLUNTARY DISMISSALS
B. INVOLUNTARY DISMISSALS
C. COSTS ON DISMISSALS
D. FAILURE TO PROSECUTE
E. LIS PENDENS
12. DEFAULTSFCP CH. 12
A. GENERALLY, FRCP 1.500
B. FINAL JUDGMENTS AFTER DEFAULT
C. VACATING JUDGMENTS AND SETTING ASIDE DEFAULTS
13. TRIALS FCP CH. 13
A. RIGHT TO JURY TRIAL
B. DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL; WAIVER
C. TRIAL BY JURY
D. SETTING ACTION FOR TRIAL
E. PROPOSALS FOR SETTLEMENT
14. JUDGMENTS AND POST-TRIAL MOTIONS FCP CH. 14
A. GENERALLY
B. SUMMARY JUDGMENTS
C. FORM OF JUDGMENT
D. ENTRY AND RECORDATION OF JUDGMENT
E. COSTS AND FEES
F. INTEREST
G. MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL OR REHEARING
H. MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM JUDGMENT
15. ENFORCEMENT OF JUDGMENTS FCP CH. 15
A.
B.
CONSENT JUDGMENTS
EXECUTION AND FINAL PROCESS
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
STAYS OF JUDGMENT
DISCOVERY IN AID OF EXECUTION
ATTACHMENT
GARNISHMENT
REPLEVIN
16. APPEALS FCP CHAPTER 16
Class Time
Tuesday from 6:30 to 7:45 and
Thursday from 8:00 to 9:15 p.m.
Room 2007
Office hours
Tuesday from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m.
READING ASSIGNMENTS (all references are to FCP)
READ PAGES:
1. 8/19
3-35 (notes and problems)
2. 8/20
35-49; 55-56 (notes and problems)
3. 8/26
59-89 (notes and problems)
4. 8/27
90-119 (notes and problems)
5. 9/3
120-149 (notes and problems)
6. 9/1
159-196 (notes and problems)
7. 9/10
197-230 (notes and problems)
8. 9/16
237-269 (notes and problems)
9. 9/17
273-300 (notes and problems)
10. 9/23 303-333 (notes and problems)
11. 9/24
335-366 (notes and problems)
12. 9/30
367-400 (notes and problems)
13. 10/1
401-429 (notes and problems)
14. 10/7
430-460 (notes and problems)
15. 10/8 462-492 (notes and problems)
16. 10/14 493-526 (notes and problems)
17. 10/15 531-561 (notes and problems)
18. 10/21 562-592 (notes and problems)
19. 10/22 592-610; 620-639 (notes and problems)
20. 10/28 640-676 (notes and problems)
21. 10/29 676-706 (notes and problems)
22. 11/4 707-751 (notes and problems)
23. 11/5 752-783 (notes and problems)
24. 11/12 784-811 (notes and problems)
25. 11/18 812-833 (notes and problems)
26. 11/19 834-889 (notes and problems)
27. 11/25 891-923 (notes and problems)
28. 11/26 973-989;1005-1010 (notes and problems)