1. A. Read the text about the complaint form accepted in the usa:

The essential parts of the complaint are: the caption, jurisdictional allegations, body, prayer for relief, and subscription.

a. Caption: the complaint must set forth: (i) the name of the court;

(ii) the number assigned to the action (stamped by the clerk when the action is filed);

(iii) a designation of the pleading (e.g., "Complaint for Damages"); and

(iv) the names of the parties.

b. Jurisdictional allegations: in federal court, the complaint must contain allegations showing the ground (or grounds) upon which the subject matter jurisdiction of the federal court is invoked. Since federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, a complaint that fails to set forth the jurisdictional grounds must be dismissed unless the ground can be supplied by amendment.

c. Body: the complaint must also contain a statement of the facts upon which recovery is sought. In code pleading states, this requires a "statement of the (ultimate) facts constituting the cause of action"; while under the Federal Rules there must be a "short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief."

d. Prayer for relief: a complaint must also contain a prayer for relief, i.e., a statement of the relief sought.

e. Subscription: the complaint must be signed by the attorney (or by the party himself, where he is acting as his own counsel).

B. Using the text decide what information an American attorney should obtain and what procedural rules he should consider to complete the document.

C. Imagine you are an attorney in the USA and your client was damaged by a business partner who broke, for example, a delivery contract. Invent a situation which may arise in real life and:

• explain the merits of your claim to the colleagues (groupmates)

2. Interview. Work in pairs.

Choose the role you’d like to play: One person is the interviewer (a journalist/a defence-lawyer/a friend or some other person of your choice) and the other - the interviewee (a defence-lawyer).

1. The interviewer. Prepare 10 questions to ask your groupmate, who takes the role of a defence-lawyer, about the case s/he is dealing with now.

2. The interviewee. Think about the possible questions his/her character might be asked and prepares answers.

Present the interview to your groupmates in the class.

IV. WRITING

1. Use the facts and language you have learnt in this Unit to compare the main points of civil procedure in the USA and Ukraine in written form.

The following phrases will help you to describe similarities and contrasts: as compared with, like, unlike, both, both … and, neither of, the same is true of.

V. OVER TO YOU

To practice the language, complete the following activity in your own time.

Write a brief report displaying the main features of civil procedure law in Ukraine to explain stages and the main procedures of a civil case proceeding in your country to foreign colleagues. Consider only the main points of legal proceedings on civil matters.

Unit 2 Appellate Review Section 1 Rules of Appellate Review

I. LEAD-IN