A Checklist of practical issues that plaintiff's counsel should consider before commencing a civil lawsuit in federal district court. These issues include the merits and cost of litigation, the need for immediate relief, whether the plaintiff can collect on a judgment, the availability of alternative dispute resolution, whether a pre-suit notice letter must or should be sent, who should be named in the lawsuit, whether the court has subject matter jurisdiction over the case and personal jurisdiction over the defendant, proper venue, bar admission, and finding and retaining local counsel.