Recommended Titles and Treatises

Civil Procedure

Federal standards of review

by Steven Childress. Lexis Nexis Matthew Bender. 4th edition. 2010.
3 volumes. Updated annually.

From the preface, "The point of a standard of review is to help the judges focus on the heart of the appeal - the merits, policies, and issues - in a way that gives them a foothold to address that substance." Unlike other appellate practice resources that focus on the procedural aspects of appellate review, Federal Standards of Review attempts to shine light on the "essential language of appeals" used by the courts. Civil, Criminal, and Administrative cases are all discussed with a focus on the relationship between trial court findings and appellate court conclusions.