The Litigation Experience is designed to be the culminating experience of the Trial Advocacy Program. It also satisfies the professional skills requirement for J.D. candidates. This required core course may eventually be limited to third-year students who are Program participants. However, in its initial semester (Fall 2011), the course will be open to all second- and third-year students.
The Litigation Experience is organized around a hypothetical civil case and progresses, week by week, through the various stages typically encountered in the life of a lawsuit – from the pleading stage through discovery, motion practice, trial and post-trial proceedings. Each week includes a 1.5-hour focused lecture and, later in the week, a related 2.5-hour participatory “skills” session.
The participatory skills sessions are conducted in limited-enrollment sections, designed to give each student the opportunity to perform “learn-by-doing” exercises each week. Sections are limited to eight students - four assigned as plaintiff’s counsel and four assigned as defendant’s counsel. Section size may thus limit registrations. Each week’s 1.5-hour focused lecture is presented to all Sections in a single large group session.
Week 1: Case Introduction/Pretrial Motions Week 2: Discovery Planning & Rule 16 Conference Week 3: Taking and Defending Depositions Week 4: Use of Depositions at Trial Week 5: Discovery Motions Week 6: Expert Witness Deposition and Discovery Issues Week 7: Direct and Cross-Examination of Expert Witnesses Week 8: ADR (Mediation) Week 9: Motions for Summary Judgment Week 10: Pretrial Conference/Motions in Limine/Jury Selection Week 11: Trial Objections/Opening Statements/Closing Arguments Week 12: Trial Week 13: Post-Trial Proceedings
A select group of nearly 40 distinguished trial lawyers and judges from the metropolitan Phoenix legal community are adjunct faculty members, serving as: * Mentors for each Section * Substantive lecturers for each of the 13 weeks * Skills session evaluators for each of the 13 weeks * Judges and witnesses for each Section's trial