Medical Malpractice Litigation

This course combines the presentation of legal and scientific theory with practical examples and demonstrations.

The legal theory of medical malpractice, as practiced primarily in California, is reviewed including such topics as physician's standard of care, informed consent, MICRA, current issues in physician malpractice, strategic approaches of plaintiffs as well as defendants to malpractice actions, discovery techniques, effective use of medical experts, and key elements of a medical malpractice trial.

A small portion of the course references the basic principles of anatomy and physiology that a medical malpractice attorney must understand in order to practice effectively in this area.

Two speakers will guest lecture: one a pre-eminent medical malpractice trial attorney; and the other a highly respected medical expert. Both speakers will discuss pragmatic aspects of medical malpractice litigation, especially avoiding potential pitfalls.

Prerequisite: Torts (170), Civil Procedure I (110A) and II (110B).