Woburn : a game of discovery
- Author/Creator:
- Fiss, Owen M.
- Publication/Creation:
- Minneapolis, MN : Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction
- Resource Type:
- Computer File
More Details
Additional/Related Title Information
- Full Title:
- Woburn : a game of discovery / by Owen M. Fiss and Charles D. Berger
- Series Titles:
- CALI lessons.
- Variant Titles:
- CALI lesson identifier: CIV20.
Related Names
- Additional Author/Creators:
- Berger, Charles D.
Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction
Subjects/Genre
- Subjects:
- Discovery (Law)--United States--Interactive multimedia--Problems, exercises, etc.--Periodicals
Pre-trial procedure--United States--Interactive multimedia--Problems, exercises, etc.--Periodicals
Civil procedure--United States--Interactive multimedia--Problems, exercises, etc.--Periodicals
Trials (Toxic torts)--Massachusetts--Boston--Interactive multimedia--Problems, exercises, etc.--Periodicals
Groundwater--Pollution--Law and legislation--Massachusetts--Woburn--Interactive multimedia--Problems, exercises, etc.--Periodicals
Drinking water--Contamination--Massachusetts--Woburn--Interactive multimedia--Problems, exercises, etc.--Periodicals
Liability for water pollution damages--Massachusetts--Woburn--Interactive multimedia--Problems, exercises, etc.--Periodicals
Description/Summary
- Summary:
- "Effective December 1, 2006, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended to reflect changes in discovery resulting from the electronic storage of information. CALI's lessons do not yet reflect these amendments. As each lesson is revised to reflect the amended rules, the lesson's catalog description will be updated to enable students and faculty to easily tell which lessons include the amended rules.
This game is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of the discovery process. It is based on the acclaimed book "A Civil Action," by Jonathan Harr, and draws its problems from the litigation arising out of the contamination of the Aberjona aquifer in Woburn, Massachusetts.
Woburn provides students with a unique opportunity to acquaint themselves with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure regarding discovery in the context of a concrete, real-life case. Assuming the roles of plaintiffs' and defendants' attorneys, the players alternate making decisions about when and how to disclose or request discovery of certain pieces of information, as well as when to cooperate with and when to oppose their opponent's discovery efforts. The simulation is highly interactive, with the computer taking the role of Judge Skinner, who occasionally intervenes to rule on discovery motions.
The thirteen problem sets included with Woburn cover a wide variety of topics, including: Mandatory initial and supplemental disclosure requirements; Proper use of various methods of discovery (subpoenas, interrogatories, depositions, requests for document production, medical examinations, requests for admission); Expert witness reports; Work product and privilege defenses; Cost-shifting for discovery activities; Attorney's fees awards; and Sanctions for conduct in violation of the rules.
Woburn will teach students the details of the rules. It will also illuminate the strategic dimensions of discovery. While pursuing their discovery efforts within the context of the rules, the players are forced to think strategically about the costs of various discovery activities, time constraints, and their reputation with the judge, jury, and the legal community at large. Frivolous motions are punished by a loss of reputation; time-consuming document requests may exhaust a player's financial resources. The need to juggle these non-legal factors brings the rules to life, showing the student how particular rules affect attorneys' decision-making processes in concrete situations.
The game is to be played out of class, on the student's own schedule. At the end the students will have internalized the structure and dynamics of the discovery rules, and be ready to discuss the more conceptual or policy-oriented issues in class.
This new, internet-based interface makes Woburn easily accessible and easy to play. On-screen reports let the players know at all times how their discovery efforts are progressing, and pictures of the actual persons involved in the trial as well as of the contamination site, court documents, and so forth, further heighten the impact of the game."-- CALI lessons subject list - Publication Dates:
- Began in 1999.
- Language:
- English
- Technical Note:
- Mode of access: World Wide Web.
- Restrictions on Access:
- CALI password required for access.
- General Note:
- Description based on 1999
"Approximate completion time: 1.5 hours." - Additional Physical Form:
- Also issued as part of an annual compilation of lessons on DVD-Roms since the academic year 2008-2009. When different, the online version is more current.
Additional Identifiers
- Catalog ID (MMSID):
- 9936509677102486
- OCLC Number:
- 221282455
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