SIMULATION COURSE OPENINGS
There are open seats in the Simulation courses, Appellate Advocacy, Trial Advocacy (section 11), and Pretrial Litigation. Simulation courses may be paired with an Externship or a Clinic to satisfy your Experiential Learning graduation requirement. Below is some information about the courses to help you decide if the course(s) is best for you.
Appellate Advocacy has no permit requirements, so you may enroll yourself.
If you would like to enroll in Trial Advocacy or Pretrial Litigation, double-check you have met the prerequisites then request a permit from Law Registrar, Cheryl Edwards. Send Ms. Edwards an email. A permit will be issued on a first-come, first-serve basis.
APPELLATE ADVOCACY (Course 309 – no prerequisites) [multiple seats available]
Offered Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. by Prof. Barbara Kritchevsky. In addition to the Wednesday morning class, students will choose a small section class on Monday at 10:30 a.m. OR Monday at 6:00 p.m.
Appellate Advocacy is a writing skills course that builds on Legal Methods II. The course covers the basics of appellate advocacy: analyzing an issue on appeal, writing an appellate brief, and preparing and delivering an oral argument. The course offers instruction in brief writing through regular writing assignments, culminating in an appellate brief. It also offers instruction in how to prepare and deliver an oral argument. Students write a brief and give and judge oral arguments. Grades are based on the written work, oral arguments, and other aspects of class participation.
TRIAL ADVOCACY (Course 516 – section 11 only | Must be currently enrolled in Evidence or have successfully completed Evidence) [1 seat available]
Offered Thursday evenings at 5:30 p.m. by an adjunct professor, Judge Chris Craft. This course meets off-campus in Judge Craft’s courtroom at 201 Poplar
Trial Advocacy is a simulation course wherein students will learn about the various phases of jury trial in civil and/or criminal contexts, as well as the differences between the jury and non-jury trials. Students will simulate jury selection, opening statements, direct and cross-examinations, and closing arguments, and will learn how to introduce exhibits, present expert testimony, raise and respond to objections, and deal with problem witnesses.
PRETRIAL LITIGATION (Course 353 – Civil Procedure is required & Evidence is strongly recommended, but not required) [1 seat available]
Offered Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 3:00 p.m. by an adjunct professor, Dorothy Pounders.
An intensive simulation course designed for students who plan to be civil litigators. Through a case file assigned at the beginning of the semester, students are encouraged to explore how lawyers strategically use each step in the pretrial litigation process to advance their clients’ interests. Students will engage in a wide range of typical pretrial tasks as time and opportunity permit, such as analyzing the law and investigating the facts in the context of the assigned case file; drafting relevant pleadings; preparing and responding to discovery, including interrogatories and document requests; taking and defending depositions; briefing and arguing a pretrial motion; and engaging in settlement negotiations with an opposing party, all while maintaining client relations and expectations.
