Protracted civil trials (defined here as lasting longer than 19 trial days or 100 trial hours) account for almost 12 percent of civil trial hours, even though they represent less than 1 percent of all civil trials. These trials are, therefore, a legitimate cause of concern to the judiciary. Protracted civil trials heard by juries are of particular concern for two reasons. First they impose a considerable burden of service on jurors. Second, they tend to involve difficult issues of fact that lay juries may not be able to comprehend adequately. This report describes the nature and management of a number of such trials as viewed by the judges and lawyers who participated in them. Originally published by the Federal Judicial Center.

First Published in 1988. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.