Introduction to Post-Trial Practice

In the previous chapters, we have discussed how to begin a lawsuit and all of the preparation that legal professionals go through before the actual trial begins. We have also gone over the basics of trial practice and the varieties of motions a party may present before the jury’s decision.

In this chapter, you will learn about post-trial practice, appellate practice, and class action practice.

Post-trial practice refers to what occurs after the jury renders its decision. The losing party may, for example, ask the court to reverse the jury’s verdict. The winning party may ask the court for an order to enforce the judgment.

Appellate practice refers to the methods of asking higher courts to review decisions of the lower courts, jury verdicts, or other aspects of cases.

Class action practice refers to the ways in which large groups of similarly situated people can bring actions jointly against particular defendants. For example, a recent class action involved persons injured by defective tires installed on a popular S.U.V. model. The very large group of injured persons brought a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer.