VIRGINIA PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Part One Professor Kent Sinclair © 2010 T A B L E OF C H A P T E R S VOLUME 1 Chapter 1 – The Virginia System Chapter 2 – Alternatives to Litigation Chapter 3 – Applicable Law & Equitable Principles Chapter 4 – Parties and Claims Chapter 5 – Venue and Forum Non Conveniens Chapter 6 – Service of Process and Personal Jurisdiction Chapter 7 – Default Chapter 8 – Pleadings and Motions Chapter 9 – Joint Tortfeasors – Release & Contribution Chapter 10 – Medical Malpractice Basics VOLUME 2 Chapter 11 – Responsive Pleadings, Counterclaims, Cross-claims and Third Party Practice Chapter 12 – Immunity Doctrines in Virginia Chapter 13 – Summary Judgment Chapter 14 – Sanctions in Virginia Law Chapter 15 – Finality and Relitigation Chapter 16 – Limitation of Actions Chapter 17 – Discovery Chapter 18 – Pretrial Conferences, Management of Case Preparations, and Dormancy Chapter 19 – Nonsuits and the 21-Day Rule Chapter 20 – Jury Trial Rights and Procedures - 1 - VOLUME 1 Chapter 1 -- The Virginia System A. Codes and Rules.........................................................................................................28 Code §8.01-3............................................................................................................30 Rule 3:1……............................................................................................................30 Rules Titles or "Parts"..............................................................................................31 B. Admission to Practice Law........................................................................................33 C. Court Structure in Virginia ......................................................................................33 Trial Courts "of Record": Circuit Courts ...........................................................33 Courts Not "of Record": General District Court..................................................34 Venue and Jurisdiction ..............................................................................34 Subject Matter Jurisdiction........................................................................35 Proceedings in General District Court. .........................................................36 Simplified forms of pleadings ...................................................................36 Venue Notice.............................................................................................37 Pleadings....................................................................................................37 “Appearance” ............................................................................................37 Discovery...................................................................................................37 "Return Day" .............................................................................................38 Removal to Circuit Court. .........................................................................38 Appeal from General District Court...............................................................39 Rehearing Applications in the General District Court...................................40 Conduct of the Appeal in the Circuit Court....................................................41 Finality of General District Court Judgments................................................41 NOTES on Remedies and De Novo Appeal.....................................................41 Court System Diagrams.........................................................................................42 Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court......................................................43 Rochelle v. Rochelle ......................................................................................45 NOTES on the 10 Days to Appeal .............................................................................47 Family Courts Created -- Then Not Funded .......................................................48 Virginia’s Appellate Court System.......................................................................50 The Court of Appeals of Virginia. ..................................................................50 Appeal of Right .........................................................................................50 Appeal by Petition .....................................................................................50 Supreme Court of Virginia ............................................................................50 NOTES on Appeal ..............................................................................................51 Diagram of Appeal Routes – Civil........................................................................52 Diagram of Appeal Routes – Administrative ......................................................53 Thoughts on Appealability in Virginia.................................................................54 - 2 - Chapter 2 --Alternatives to Litigation A. Introduction ...............................................................................................................57 B. Arbitration Basics ......................................................................................................59 McMullin v. Union Land & Mgt. ...........................................................................59 C. Scope of the Agreement to Arbitrate .......................................................................63 Trustees of Asbury United Methodist Church v. Taylor & Parrish ......................63 NOTES on Forming the Agreement to Arbitrate.......................................................68 D. Interpretation and Enforcement of the Arbitration Award; Preclusion and Relitigation ...................................................................................69 Waterfront Marine Constr. v. North End 49ers Sandbridge .......................69 NOTES on Arbitration Awards..................................................................................77 E. Challenges to Arbitration Awards or Arbitrability................................................78 Signal Corp. v. Kean Federal Systems ...................................................................78 Lackman v. Long & Foster Real Estate .................................................................81 Discussion Problem..................................................................................................85 FURTHER NOTES on Arbitration Hearings................................................................86 Is There an Arbitrable Dispute? ...............................................................................86 Amchem Prods . v. Newport News Asbestos Plaintiffs.................................88 Appeal of Arbitration –Related Orders....................................................................93 F. Mediation Under the Virginia "Early Neutral Evaluation" System....................94 Hypotheticals…… .............................................................................................................98 Chapter 3 – Applicable Law & Equitable Principles A. What Law Applies? .................................................................................................100 Buchanan v. Doe...................................................................................................100 B. Claims in a "Newly Mixed" System ......................................................................105 The Single Form of Action – Effect of the Reform .................................................106 Table of Civil Procedure Rules..............................................................................107 Claims at Law or in Equity ....................................................................................111 Peculiarly Equitable Claims ..................................................................................112 Claims (almost always) At Law .............................................................................113 C. Equitable Relief........................................................................................................114 Injunctions .............................................................................................................114 - 3 - Specific performance..............................................................................................115 Reformation............................................................................................................115 Rescission….. .........................................................................................................115 Receivership ..........................................................................................................115 Other Equitable Relief ..........................................................................................116 D. Equitable Defenses and Other Limits on Relief....................................................116 E. Statutes on The Applicable Law.............................................................................117 Code §1-10 The Common Law.............................................................................117 Code §1-11 Acts of Parliament.............................................................................117 F. Case Law on Law & Equity Problems in Virginia................................................117 Wright v. Castles....................................................................................................117 NOTE: