Pre-Trial Practice

Prerequisites:

• Evidence(LAW 6330)

This course is designed for 3Ls who are planning to become civil litigators after graduation.  More than 95% of civil cases settle before trial, so most of your legal practice will be “pre-trial” practice.  The course therefore offers in-depth study and training in civil litigation up until trial, with the aim of making you practice-ready by the end of semester. We will cover fact and theme development, pleadings, the discovery process—including written requests and responses, motion practice, and depositions—settlement negotiation, and strategic decision-making at each step of the process.  You will be assigned to four-person “law firms” and will litigate against an opposing firm in the other section, using a simplified but realistic case file.  The sections will sometimes meet together for lecture classes, and you will sometimes receive feedback from the other section’s professor as well as your own. The assignments and workload are the same regardless of which section you join.  Please note that although this course is graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, the workload is no less than in any graded course, including near-weekly written assignments.