A party to a civil action may seek relief from a final judgment or order of North Carolina's trial courts for many reasons. Litigants often take their arguments to the state's appellate division. But for many issues, the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure provide methods for first seeking relief directly from the trial courts themselves. These rules, presented in Chapter 1A of the North Carolina General Statutes, and North Carolina case law interpreting them, are the focus of this book. The discussion proceeds in two parts. -Part One covers motions for immediate post-trial relief. -Part Two covers motions brought under Rule 60(b), which allows relief from a "final judgment, order, or proceeding" based on any of six specific grounds that are based largely in equity, and, in general, are discretionary. The book concentrates on North Carolina case law, primarily cases that interpret the Rules of Civil Procedure governing these motions rather than cases discussing the common law upon which the rules are based or statutes that preceded them. A free download of the table of contents and about this book section are avaialable (https://www.sog.unc.edu/publications/books/relief-judgment-north-carolina-civil-cases!/details).

This book provides guidance for judicial officer in the conduct of civil proceedings, from preliminary matters to the conduct of final proceedings and the assessment of damages and costs. It contains concise statements of relevant legal principles, references to legislation, sample orders for judicial official to use where suitable and checklists applicable to various kinds of issues that arise in the course of managing and conducting civil litigation.

This Handbook is designed to help people dealing with civil lawsuits in federal court without legal representation. Proceeding without a lawyer is called proceeding "pro se1," a Latin phrase meaning "for oneself," or sometimes "in propria persona," meaning "in his or her own person." Representing yourself in a lawsuit can be complicated, time consuming, and costly. Failing to follow court procedures can mean losing your case. For these reasons, you are urged to work with a lawyer if possible. Chapter 2 gives suggestions on finding a lawyer. Do not rely entirely on this Handbook. This Handbook provides a summary of civil lawsuit procedures, but it may not cover all procedures that may apply in your case. It also does not teach you about the laws that will control your case. Make sure you read the applicable federal and local court rules and do your own research at a law library or online to understand your case. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California has Clerk's Offices in the San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland courthouses. Clerk's Office staff can answer general questions, but they cannot give you any legal advice. For example, they cannot help you decide what to do in your lawsuit, tell you what the law means, or even advise you when documents are due. There are Legal Help Centers in the San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose courthouses where you can get free help with your lawsuit from an attorney who can help you prepare documents and give limited legal advice. This attorney will not be your lawyer and you will still be representing yourself. See Chapter 2 for more details.