Oral Argument Workshop
Building on the skills developed in Federal Litigation, this simulation course will give students the unique opportunity to argue and judge pretrial motions from actual federal court cases. The instructor will provide the written briefs, and each week half the class will argue and half the class will judge a motion. Preparation will require reading the cases cited in the briefs and coming to class ready either to present an argument (attorneys) or interrogate counsel (judges). Students will critique each other both orally and in writing, and the instructor will provide oral critiques of all arguments. The goals of this class are: to train students to argue in court; to provide them with a chance to polish their public speaking skills and practice thinking on their feet; to prepare students to engage in challenging dialogue with both colleagues and future clients; and to improve self-confidence. Thus, while the context of the course is litigation, the objectives are much broader than the mastery of litigation technique. Special Instructions: Students registered in this course have the option to register for one additional unit with the consent of the instructor. Students electing this option will be registered in Law 628-B-01 (1 unit) in addition to Law 628-A-01 (2 units). The focus of the additional one-unit component will be on oral presentation skills. See Law 628-B-01 course descriptions for details. Students must be registered in Law 628-A-01 to register in Law 628-B-01. Students must elect (or drop) the one-unit option by the final study list deadline. This course is not open to first year Law School students. Priority will be given to those students who commit to taking the class if given consent to enroll. Please indicate your commitment on the consent form.