Law 694:  Advanced Trial Advocacy: Business Litigation

Corporate entities often resolve disputes through the litigation process.  This course is designed to introduce students to the uniqueness of business litigation and to prepare them to represent corporate clients in litigation.  It is taught by practicing business litigation attorneys.  Students will be trained to litigate civil business litigation cases from the inception of a case through trial.  The pre-trial phase of the case will focus on case development.  Students will draft and argue motions to dismiss, draft written discovery, depose and defend witnesses, depose and defend expert witness, argue motions to strike/limit expert witnesses (Daubert challenges), argue punitive damage motions, and participate in a mediation.  Students will develop advanced persuasion techniques, examination techniques, and advocacy skills, and learn about ethics in the legal profession and business litigation.  At the end of the course, students will prepare for, and try, a final jury trial.

Sequence and Prerequisites: Both Evidence (Law 682) and Trial Advocacy (Law 694) must have been taken prior to this course.

Evaluation:  This is a three-hour graded course.  Grades will be based on written assignment, in-class courtroom performance exercises, participation, and performance in the final mock trial.  While students will try their cases with a partner, each student will be graded individually.  Students will have an opportunity to meet their classmates during the first class meeting before partners are selected.

Course Classification:  Experiential