Advanced Advocacy: Jury Selection & Psychology

• Semester: Spring 2025
• Course ID: 496V
• Credit Hours: 4
• Unique: 29379

Special Instructions

Description

Advanced Advocacy: Jury Selection & Psychology primarily focuses on two critical concepts for jury trial lawyers: jury selection and the psychology of juror persuasion and communication. This class, which is limited to 3L students, is the only class in the law school where you will spend six weeks learning about and ultimately practicing jury selection (voir dire). Here are three key components of this class:

• Learn techniques for jury selection culminating in two opportunities to practice jury selection, including one with “real people” (Austin residents not affiliated with the law school).
• Study advanced jury persuasion techniques by considering the psychology of both your audience (the jury) and yourself (the lawyer), with real-world lessons on attorney well-being and dealing with clients who are victims of trauma.
• Work with licensed psychiatrists to prepare them to testify as expert witnesses and then conduct direct and cross-examinations of the experts.

This is a keystone class for students who have mastered basic and even advanced advocacy skills and are ready to dive into cutting-edge techniques and approaches. The class combines both discussion and practice sessions focusing on both traditional legal exercises and other experimental approaches to advocacy. This class is application-only. Suggested prerequisites: Evidence, Advocacy Survey, and advanced Advocacy work such as appellate advocacy, Intensive Litigation Advocacy Skills, ADR courses, clinics, or interscholastic mock trial participation.