Civil Pre-Trial Practice and Advocacy

Disposition before trial occurs in the vast majority of civil lawsuits (e.g., 98% of federal cases), which makes pre-trial advocacy the dominant part of legal practice at most law firms and agencies. This experiential learning course will engage students with a robust client fact pattern, including analysis of client documents and procedural and substantive law. Students will learn how to draft pre-trial advocacy pleadings, discovery, disclosures, and motions, culminating with learning how to draft a motion for summary judgment. Students will learn how to take depositions and negotiate a settlement. By simulating an actual complex civil litigation case, this “in-context” course will provide students with insight into the process of preparing a case for trial through the pretrial conference and improving the client’s position for a pre-trial disposition. This course satisfies the experiential learning requirement.