Litigation

In the past, lawyers learned trial practice in on-the-job training after completing law school. Today, graduates need to be prepared for the challenges that face them in the courtroom before they step into it.

Features of the Litigation Program

• Classes are small, so every student is able to practice skills such as cross-examining, interviewing clients, negotiating, making objections, delivering opening and closing arguments, making motions, and more.
• A wide variety of litigation courses and externships are offered (see below).
• Students have opportunities to participate in mock trial and moot court competitions including:
• National Mock Trial Competition
• Association of Trial Lawyers of America Competition
• Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
• ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition
• National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition
• Students can earn a Certificate of Specialization, the equivalent of a major in litigation.

Full-time Faculty in the Litigation Program

• Bernard L. Segal , Director of the Litigation Program and Professor of Law
  
• Susan Rutberg, Professor of Law
  
• Allan Brotsky, Professor Emeritus
  

Litigation Courses

Many of the required courses for the J.D. have litigation components including Appellate Advocacy, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, and Evidence.

Electives in the Litigation Program include:

• Civil Litigation: Pretrial Phase
• Civil Practice Clinic
• Conflict of Laws
• Courtroom as Theatre
• Criminal Litigation
• Criminal Litigation Clinic
• Criminal Procedure
• Electronic Evidence
• Federal Courts
• Innocence Project (clinic)
• Judicial Decision Making
• Landlord-Tenant Law Clinic
• Law & Social Change
• Law Practice Technology
• Lawyering Skills: Client Advocacy
• Mock Trial
• Trial Advocacy