Advocacy Survey: Skills

• Semester: Fall 2024
• Course ID: 187E
• Credit Hours: 1
• Unique: 28470

Description

Advocacy Survey Skills is designed to teach you how to practice law.

And by you we mean all law students, not just those who intend to become litigators or trial lawyers.  You are notexpected to have any background in public speaking, moot court, or mock trial. There is a misperception that only students who enjoy public speaking attend law school, or further, that you will leave law school a fantastic public speaker as every course helps improve your advocacy. Instead, by the end of their first year some students forgo litigation and trial work because they erroneously believe you either have a gift for public speaking or not. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our job is to make each of you outstanding advocates no matter what your comfort level is coming into our class. As a former student courageously explained:

"I want you to know this class changed my life. In our very first storytelling session, I told Prof. Lein I was terrified of courtrooms. That was 100% true. I came into law school convinced I'd become a transactional lawyer because of prior work experience and my dislike of courtrooms--where "transactional lawyer" is maybe shorthand for "doesn't do any public speaking" and "doesn't argue with people."

I'm not afraid of courtrooms anymore, but there's more to it than that. Tackling my fear in this class, in the graceful way you teach it, has truly changed my life. A whole new side of the law has opened up for me to explore, as well as a whole new way of showing up in the world."

We only have three short years to prepare you for the practice of law, and we want you to be ready on Day One. This course is designed to teach you the skills to be successful in whichever type of law you practice.