2023-2024 Law School Catalog

Trial and Appellate Advocacy

Overview

All Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration students must complete five (5) required courses; an externship or clinical program; and at least three (3) Concentration elective courses.

In planning their schedules concentrators should be mindful that the required Evidence course covers foundational material and should be taken first. The required Clinical course will put the student's acquired litigation skills into practice and optimally should be taken last. For those students writing a Thesis, the Thesis Seminar must be taken by the second semester prior to graduation. This allows for any necessary adjustments and improvements to the Thesis in the final semester prior to graduation.

In order to successfully complete the Trial and appellate Advocacy Concentration, students must take a minimum of twenty three (23) credits in the following approved Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration courses, including the five (5) required courses and the required clinical or externship program.

Please note that not all courses are offered each semester and plan accordingly.

Courses

Core Courses

All Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration students must complete the following five (5) required courses.

One Evidence course:

LAW-2166Evidence

4

One Pretrial course from the following list:

LAW-2304Pre-Trial Civil Litigation

3

LAW-2357State Criminal Practice

2

LAW-2960Federal Criminal Practice Seminar

2

An Appellate course:

LAW-2518Appellate Practice

3

An Alternative Dispute and Resolution course from the following list:

LAW-2288Mediation

3

LAW-2283Negotiation

2

LAW-2045Arbitration of Domestic and International Dispute

3

A Trial Advocacy course from the following list:

LAW-2009Trial Advocacy

2

LAW-2363Trial Advocacy Intensive

3

Externships and Clinical Courses

At least 1 course from the following list:

LAW-2483Accelerator Casework

3

LAW-2463Family Advocacy Casework

3

LAW-2465Health Clinic Casework

3

LAW-2467Immigration Clinic Casework

3

LAW-2469Human Rights & Indigenous People Casework

3

LAW-2471Intellectual Property Clinic Casework

3

Internship in a Litigation-Related Internship

LAW-2473Juvenile Defender Casework

3

LAW-2475Suffolk Defenders Casework

3

LAW-2477Suffolk Prosecutors Casework

3

Litigation and Advocacy-Related Elective Courses

All Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration students must complete at least three (3) Concentration elective courses from the following list.

Courses:

LAW-2020Administrative Law

3

LAW-2580Advanced Civil Procedure

3

LAW-2780Advanced Legal Writing

3

LAW-2035Advanced Torts

2

LAW-2384Trial & Appellate Thesis

2

LAW-2950Conflict of Laws

3

LAW-2605Criminal Procedure

3

LAW-2951E-Discovery Law

2

LAW-2976Forensics

2

LAW-2957Housing Discrimination Law, Theory and Practice: Brainstorming and Implementing Solutions to Discrimination

2

LAW-2424International Investment Law

3

LAW-2225Interviewing and Counseling

2

LAW-2285Massachusetts Practice

2

LAW-2286Medical Malpractice

2

LAW-2831Patent Litigation Practice

2

LAW-2944Patent Prosecution II: PTO Practice

2

LAW-2285: Only one state practice courses may count toward fulfilling the three elective requirement.

How to Enroll

Enrollment in the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration is accomplished by filing a Notice of Enrollment form with the Office of Academic Services.

Concentration enrollment may occur as soon as a student completes the first year in law school in good standing.

The latest date students may enroll in a Concentration is October 1st for students graduating in January, and Feb. 1 for students graduating in May.

Formal enrollment in the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration is not complete until the Notice of Enrollment form is filed. Once enrolled in the Concentration, students will be invited to participate in a variety of programs and special events of interest to litigation practitioners.

Requirements

Continued enrollment in the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration is contingent upon the student:

  • Completing the five (5) required core courses;
  • Completing an externship with a litigation placement or a Clinical Program; and
  • Completing at least three (3) additional elective courses so that it is possible to complete the required twenty-three (23) credits in approved Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration courses by the time the student graduates;
  • Periodically reviewing the student's progress in attaining the requisite grade point averages with one of the Concentration Faculty Director and/or the Assistant Dean for Academic Services.
  • Obtaining the Concentration Faculty Director's approval of the student's plan for completing the Concentration's writing requirement.

Upon completion of the required courses, elective courses, the writing requirement and total credit hours required by the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration, students must complete and file the Notice of Concentration Completion form online.

The latest date students may file Concentration Completion forms is November 1st for January graduates, and March 1st for May graduates.