Causes of Action

Causes of Action, currently in its second series (COA 2d), is an authoritative guide to prima facie cases in most areas of law. It is a practitioner toolkit for determining whether a given set of facts is actionable at law. A set of facts may be wrong but may not be actionable. In addition, COA may also serve as a one-stop mechanism for determining whether to accept an out-of-court settlement or proceed to litigation. Because of tort reform laws, there is often a cap on the recoverable amount should litigation ensue. In essence, COA is a compendium of information that is useful in planning litigation.

Following is a summary of COA 2d's functions and contents: 

• Itemizes the elements of each cause of action in addition to the required proof.
• Provides pointers to substantive and procedural law.
• Contains research guides to provide further guidance on law, trial technique, and strategy to the would-be litigant.
• Contains primary and secondary authorities broken down by jurisdictions.
• Contains a checklist of issues that both the plaintiff and the defendant must pay attention to.
• Contains actual recent case sample as a guide to litigants.
• Contains a sample complaint form that can be adapted to current litigation.

The Ehrhorn Law Library has the complete set of both COA and COA 2d and the sets are current. Access is also available, in electronic form, through Westlaw. The online format is easier to use and is up to date.