California Civil Jury Instruction Companion Handbook provides jury instructions given in actual trials across the expanse of “real world” civil litigation, followed by commentary from Judge Mary Thornton House (Ret.) as well as some of California's most respected civil litigators. It serves as an invaluable resource for crafting jury instructions that are comprehensible to jurors and that pass muster under California Rule of Court 2.1050 (e).

A companion to the official Judicial Council's published California Civil Jury Instructions (CACI), the handbook contains jury instructions given in virtually all types of civil cases brought in California courts and makes suggestions for improvement in future similar cases. The author reveals avoidable errors and shows how instructions can be added to and rearranged into a logical, comprehensible, and useful document for jurors and attorneys in closing argument. Judge House also includes special instructions written by counsel for cases in which there are no or limited CACI instructions and federal cases in which CACI and 9th Circuit Model instructions are combined.

This handbook is valuable for both the experienced and inexperienced trial attorney. The text includes:

Instructions given in actual cases

Updated CACI instructions and special verdict forms

Court-approved special instructions and modifications of CACI instructions along with commentary by seasoned litigators on the impact of the modifications in their cases

Verdict forms specially drafted for multiple count/party cases

Judicial viewpoints, comments, cautions and sample instructions and verdict forms written by the author

Law addressing the timing of jury instruction submissions, supplemental instructions, the completion rule, and general and special verdict forms