»Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Certificate

Trial Practice (3)

This is a practical skills course in advocacy which introduces students to the fundamental components of a typical civil and criminal trial. It requires students to perform exercises involving each component, and try a mock civil or criminal case from provided problem materials. The course requires student participation in discrete exercises, including jury voir dire, opening and closing statements, and direct and cross-examination. Prerequisite: successful completion of Evidence. 

Negotiations (3)

Students will practice preparing for and conducting legal negotiations. Students will learn about different approaches and theories of negotiation, develop their skills, understand their negotiating preferences and those of others, as well deal with ethical issues. Students will do simulated negotiations involving transactions, litigation and other situations lawyers may encounter in practice. In addition to researching and preparing for the negotiations, students will draft agreements and will be asked to reflect upon and write about their learning. This course is a core requirement for the Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Certificate.

Client Interviewing and Counseling (3)

Students will learn and practice skills involved in interviewing and counseling clients. Through the course of the semester, students will take one simulated case from the initial phase of gathering and evaluating facts supplied by a client, conduct substantive legal research, write a memorandum to the client file, and provide oral and written advice to the client based on consideration of facts and applicable law. The course will focus on interpersonal aspects of client relationships as well as ethical problems that may arise in the context of client representation. Students participate in simulated interviews and counseling sessions, portraying both client and attorney. Students will be videotaped in at least one interview or counseling session and will complete several written products, including a client letter, a memo to the file, and papers analyzing the lawyering process from the perspective of both attorney and client.

These electives allow students to choose a skill set to develop or expand. Students may learn about Mediation or Arbitration or develop litigation or transactional skills with a Practice Foundations course selection.

• Mediation
• Arbitration Law
• Clinic, e.g. Elder Law, Tax
• Competitions
• Entertainment Industry Contracts
• Externships**
• Practice Foundations: Civil*
• Practice Foundations: Criminal Litigation*
• Practice Foundations: Transactions*

*In order to satisfy the elective requirement for the emphasis, a Practice Foundations course must be in addition to the course selected to satisfy the Practice Foundations requirement.

**Externships must involve significant exercise of lawyering skills in order to satisfy the requirement.

Specific offerings will vary from year to year, depending on periodic rotation of electives, instructor availability, student interest, and scheduling dynamics. Visit the course descriptions page for more information.

The law school faculty have identified the following learning outcomes as critical to a law degree and to developing the skills needed to become a proficient attorney.

1. Graduates will be able to communicate effectively across a variety of legal contexts.
2. Graduates will demonstrate civility, ethics, and professionalism across a variety of legal contexts.