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:
One Pretrial course from the following list:
An Appellate course:
An Alternative Dispute and Resolution course from the following list:
A Trial Advocacy course from the following list:
Externships and Clinical Courses
At least 1 course from the following list:
*Participation in the Legal Externship Program requires prior approval by the Concentration Faculty Director. Externships must be arranged through the Legal Externship Office in advance of the semester(s) during which a student will participate. For information on the process of securing a legal externship, go to Legal Externships. You are also encouraged to make an appointment with the Legal Externship Office to discuss legal externships further.
**Participation in any of the Clinical Programs requires application and acceptance in advance of the semester(s) during which a student will participate. Each Clinical Program has its own prerequisite courses and rules as to how students are selected for participation. If you are considering a Clinical Program, please be sure to consult the individual program's web site at Clinical Programs. You are also encouraged to make an appointment with the Clinical Programs Office to discuss the Clinical Programs further.
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:
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.