Litigation and Dispute Resolution – College of Law

792: Mediation and Arbitrations

Krista Gaedtke — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:39:34 +0000

This course provides a comprehensive overview of mediation and arbitration within the broader field of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). It introduces the theoretical foundations of mediation and arbitration, including negotiation theory, communication strategy, and the mediator and arbitrator function within legal, institutional, and ethical frameworks. Students will engage in structured, simulation-based exercises designed to cultivate professional competence in managing disputes, facilitating dialogue, and drafting settlement agreements. The course emphasizes practical application through extensive role-playing, as mediator, arbitrator, and counsel, across multiple practice areas, including personal injury, family law, and business or commercial disputes. Guest lectures from experienced mediators, arbitrators, and counsel, will offer insight into current practices and professional pathways in these areas of ADR.

Sequence and Prerequisites: None

Evaluation: Class participation, writing assignments including mediation submissions and arbitration briefs, participation in role-playing exercises, a reflection journal, and a final consisting of dispute scenarios requiring participation as mediator, arbitrator, and counsel.

Course Classification: Experiential

694: Advanced Dispute Resolution Team

Krista Gaedtke — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:07:45 +0000

Advanced Dispute Resolution team is a graded experiential advocacy course conducted in the fall (two hours) and spring (two hours) semesters for a total of four credit hours. Enrollment is by audition only. Per ABA Standard 310, to earn two credit hours per semester, each student must account for 90 hours of time.

Students who accept the invitation to join Advanced Dispute Resolution Team will compete in one regional or national dispute resolution advocacy competition in both the fall and spring semester. These competitions may be focused on arbitrations, negotiations, client counseling, or mediations. Students who join the Advanced Dispute Resolution Team may state their preference on what type of competition they prefer, but final selection will be made by the Advocacy Director and selected students should be prepared to compete in any assigned dispute resolution competition.

Further, students who accept the invitation to join Advanced Dispute Resolution Team will undergo rigorous training with a practitioner coach and periodic bonus critiques from College of Law faculty, Illinois alumni, and additional seasoned practicing attorney volunteers as competition weekend approach. The Anderson Center for Advocacy and Professionalism will also provide additional workshops and programs to help with overall development as well as individual optimization.

Students are selected for Advanced Dispute Resolution Board through satisfactory completion of Dispute Resolution Board.

Course Sequence and Co/Prerequisites: Pre-requisite is Dispute Resolution Team.

Evaluation: Advanced Dispute Resolution Team is a two-hour graded course. Grades will be based on a written memo relating to the competition, Dispute Resolution Board participation, and preparation and professionalism in practices and at the competition.

Course Classification: Experiential

793: Jury Selection: The Art and Science

Krista Gaedtke — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 21:46:12 +0000

This skills-based course will serve as an introduction to performing jury selection at either a criminal or civil trial. Students will learn the basic rules that govern jury selection, along with strategies and best practices for conducing jury selection. This course will consist of classroom discussion on jury selection best practices and will also require students to participate in a number of jury selection exercises, both performing jury selection and serving as potential jurors.

This course will meet over two weeks from January 26 to February 6. It is pass/fail.

Course Sequence Prerequisites: Trial Advocacy is a co- or prerequisite.

Evaluation: This is a one-hour pass/fail course. Successful course completion will be based on classroom participation and participation in jury selection exercises.

Course Classification:Experiential

793: Scientific Evidence and Expert Witnesses

Krista Gaedtke — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 21:42:57 +0000

This skills-based course will serve as an introduction to preparing and conducting examinations of expert witnesses involving scientific evidence. The course will introduce students to the unique challenges attendant to locating an expert witness, preparing them, and then direct examining them, as well as the unique challenges of working with scientific evidence via expert witness testimony. It also introduces students to the difficulty in opposing expert witnesses, inclusive of preparing to cross-examine them and then actually cross-examining them. This course will consist of classroom discussion on all facets of working with expert witnesses and will also require students to practice preparing expert witnesses, conducting direct examinations of experts, and cross-examining experts.

This course will meet over two weeks from February 9 to February 20. It is pass/fail.

Course Sequence Prerequisites: Trial Advocacy is a co- or prerequisite.

Evaluation: This is a one-hour pass/fail course. Successful course completion will be based on classroom participation and participation in expert witness direct and cross examination exercises.

Course Classification:Experiential

694: Dispute Resolution Team

Krista Gaedtke — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:26:36 +0000

Dispute Resolution Team is a graded experiential advocacy course conducted in the fall (two hours) and spring (two hours) semesters for a total of four credit hours. Enrollment is by audition only. Per ABA Standard 310, to earn two credit hours per semester, each student must account for 90 hours of time.

Students who accept the invitation to join Dispute Resolution Team will compete in one regional or national dispute resolution advocacy competition in both the fall and spring semester. These competitions may be focused on arbitrations, negotiations, client counseling, or mediations. Students who join the Dispute Resolution Team may state their preference on what type of competition they prefer, but final selection will be made by the Advocacy Director and selected students should be prepared to compete in any assigned dispute resolution competition.

Further, students who accept the invitation to join Dispute Resolution Team will undergo rigorous training with a practitioner coach and periodic bonus critiques from College of Law faculty, Illinois alumni, and additional seasoned practicing attorney volunteers as competition weekend approach. The Anderson Center for Advocacy and Professionalism will also provide additional workshops and programs to help with overall development as well as individual optimization.

Students are selected for Dispute Resolution Board through an audition process which is traditionally held in mid May following final examinations.

Course Sequence/Corequisite/Prerequisites: Students enrolled must complete Professionalism in Advocacy as a co-requisite during the spring semester. Negotiations, CFI, Trial Advocacy, and Evidence are all highly recommended.

Evaluation: Dispute Resolution Team is a two-hour graded course. Grades will be based on a written memo relating to the competition, Dispute Resolution Board participation, and preparation and professionalism in practices and at the competition.

Course Classification: Experiential

694: Advanced Moot Court

Krista Gaedtke — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:16:18 +0000

Advanced Moot Court is a graded experiential appellate advocacy course conducted in the fall (2 hours) and spring (2 hours) semesters for a total of four credit hours. Enrollment is by audition only. Per ABA Standard 310, in order to earn two credit hours per semester, each student must account for 90 hours of time. Eligibility for Moot Court requires the prerequisite of Moot Court and the co-requisite of Professional Responsibility in Advocacy. Advanced Appellate Advocacy, Trial Advocacy, and Evidence are highly recommended.

Students who accept the invitation to join Advanced Moot Court will undergo rigorous training with a practitioner coach and periodic bonus critiques from College of Law faculty, Illinois alumni, and additional seasoned practicing attorney volunteers as competition weekends approach. Students enrolled in the course will also be required to participate in either a summer training program that will be provided remotely via Zoom or a serious of trainings held on campus at the beginning of the fall semester. The Anderson Center for Advocacy and Professionalism will also provide additional workshops and programs to help with overall development as well as individual optimization.

Advanced Moot Court competitions provide hands-on experiential training for future lawyers. It also offers student development in prevailing over practical challenges that lawyers typically face in modern legal practice. In addition to polishing their basic appellate advocacy skills, team members learn to analyze and master a record of trial, draft appellate briefs, navigate an appellate courtroom, engage in a conversation with an appellate court, and effectively employ complicated legal issues.

Each Advanced Moot Court member will participate in two interscholastic tournaments each academic year at both the national and regional level. Advanced Moot Court members will be expected to write a brief for each competition and to be prepared to provide oral argument for each competition. Advanced Moot Court members will also be expected to help mentor and develop students enrolled in Moot Court.

Students are selected for Advanced Moot Court through satisfactory completion of Moot Court.

Course Sequence and Co/Prerequisites: Pre-requisite is Moot Court. Students must complete Professionalism and Advocacy in the Spring semester as a co- or pre-requisite. Advanced Appellate Advocacy, Evidence, and Trial Advocacy are highly recommended.

Evaluation: Advanced Moot Court Team is a two-hour graded course. Grades will be based on participation and performance in the moot court training program, the completion of the written competition brief, participating in Moot Court Board activities (such as conducting moot court practice sessions with other moot court members), a graded dress rehearsal before the Anderson Center Director prior to the competition, and preparation and professionalism in practices and at the competition.

Course Classification: Experiential

793: Mirza Trial Academy

Krista Gaedtke — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:31:02 +0000

This course is a one-week intensive, held in Chicago prior to the start of spring semester, that that focuses on the development and advancement of core competencies necessary for the successful trial lawyer. These competencies include critical motion practice, depositions, settlement mediation, electronic discovery, jury selection, and courtroom presentation skills. The course emphasizes learning core advocacy skills through the performance of courtroom exercises, including a trial to be held following the conclusion of the course. The ABA Model Rules of Professional Responsibility are integrated at all aspects of the course. Courtroom exercises teach students to identify and ethically resolve professional responsibility issues confronting trial lawyers. The course is taught by experienced trial lawyers and judges in the Chicago area who critique daily courtroom performance exercises and who judge the final trial. As a week-long intensive experience, classes and performance exercises will be held daily from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The final trials will be held in Chicago on Saturday, January 23rd. The College of Law will provide hotel accommodations for registered students, as well as reimbursement for travel to and from Chicago. Registration is open to all 3Ls who have completed Evidence and Trial Advocacy; registration in the Chicago Program is NOT required. This course is eligible to satisfy the Professional Responsibility and Ethics Course requirement for graduation.

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

Evaluation: This course will be evaluated through daily quizzes concerning professional ethics, daily courtroom performance exercises, and a final mock trial. Students will receive a grade for this course.

Course Classification: Experiential

694: Taking and Defending Depositions

Krista Gaedtke — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:23:25 +0000

This skills-based course will serve as an introduction to taking and defending depositions, providing opportunities to practice preparing for and conducting mock depositions. This course will consist of classroom discussions on deposition best practices in conjunction with assignments to implement those practices, including mock depositions over Zoom. This is a pass/fail course.

Course Sequence/Prerequisite: Evidence (682) must be taken either concurrently or previously.

Evaluation: Taking and Defending Depositions is a two-credit pass/fail course. Assessment will be based on class participation and assignments throughout the semester.

Course Classification: Experiential

694: Advanced Legal Writing: Courtroom Evidence

Krista Gaedtke — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:20:09 +0000

The rules of evidence dictate the manner of criminal and civil trials. Understanding

The rules of evidence dictate the manner of criminal and civil trials. Understanding evidence impacts the questions attorneys will ask, the exhibits and testimony that the jury will consider, the quality of the advocacy and, even, the outcome at trial. This course connects the substantive rules of evidence and evidentiary determinations with the skills of trial advocacy. Students will learn how arguments under the rules of evidence and evidentiary rulings play out in the courtroom. Students will write and argue motions in limine, make offers of proof, conduct examinations, argue evidentiary objections and render decisions on evidence as trial judge. This course will focus on advocacy skills rooted in understanding evidence, such as motions in limine, evidentiary foundations, modes of impeachment and making a record for appeal. This course will not cover the aspects of trial advocacy that do not relate significantly to the rules of evidence, such as trial preparation and organization, themes and theories, voir dire, opening statements and closing arguments. While the course will on utilizing the rules of evidence in the courtroom setting, it is beneficial to any student who wishes to master the rules of evidence and advance their knowledge of substantive evidentiary law.

Course Sequence/Prerequisite: Evidence (682) must have been taken prior to this course. Trial Advocacy is highly recommended (either completing prior to the class or concurrently, but is not required).

Evaluation: This is a three-hour graded course. Grades will be based on written assignments, classroom participation, performance in exercises, and a final examination. All students will be required to complete a substantial motion writing exercise. Students may complete this requirement to satisfy the upper-level legal writing requirement.

694: Advanced Trial Advocacy: Business Litigation

Krista Gaedtke — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 20:14:13 +0000

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