This course will focus on a variety of issues currently facing the litigator. The emphasis will be on complex civil cases, but there will also be some attention paid to issues in criminal cases and to less complex civil matters. Examples of topics that may be covered include attorneys fees in class actions or multi-district litigation; electronic discovery; Rule 11 sanctions; subject matter waiver of the attorney-client privilege; the impact of compulsory mediation; scientific evidence in civil and criminal cases and the impact on criminal cases of the landmark decision in Crawford v. Washington.