The seventh edition of Pretrial Litigation in a Nutshell addresses both the law governing pretrial litigation and the legal skills required for successful practice in this area. The text is fully updated to incorporate all amendments to the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure through December 1, 2019, as well as recent federal statutes and judicial decisions. Although the text's focus is on federal statutes and rules, the pretrial litigation skills discussed are essential to successful pretrial litigation in both state and federal courts. The text coverage proceeds in the same order as does most pretrial litigation, starting with client interviewing and the establishment of the attorney-client relationship, then considering pretrial planning and investigation, the complaint and responses to the complaint, disclosure and discovery, pretrial motion practice (including summary judgment motions), pretrial conferences and orders, and settlement.