Glossary
Trial
The formal proceeding where evidence is presented, witnesses testify, and the case is decided. Trials can be by jury or by the judge alone (a "bench trial").
Most civil cases never reach trial. They settle, get dismissed, or are decided by motion. The cases that do go to trial are usually the hardest ones: where the parties genuinely disagree about important facts and neither side will budge.
A typical trial proceeds in this order: opening statements (each side previews their case), plaintiff's case-in-chief (the plaintiff presents their evidence and witnesses), defendant's case (same on the other side), rebuttal evidence, closing arguments, jury instructions (in jury trials), deliberation, and verdict.
A simple civil trial might take a day. A complex one can take weeks or months. The pre-trial preparation usually dwarfs the trial itself.