This lawyering skills course gives students an orientation to and constant practice in most basic pretrial and trial advocacy skills areas. Topics include taking and defending depositions, motion practice, trial evidence, jury selection, opening statements, direct and cross-examination, and closing arguments.
The format for each topic begins with a lecture/discussion featuring video vignettes of various techniques. Following the discussion portion of each topic are small group sessions during which each student practices the skills involved. After each exercise, two of our faculty of very experienced Bay Area litigators and judges give constructive feedback. Most exercises are also videotaped for further one-on-one critique by another faculty member. The course ends with full jury trials.
The central philosophy of the workshop is that skills are best acquired in an experiential manner by seeing and doing. Frequent short, well-defined exercises followed by immediate constructive feedback in a non-competitive, non-threatening atmosphere provide the core of the program. Prerequisite: Evidence.