Pretrial Skills Program

This course serves as an introduction to the fundamental skills needed in the pretrial phase of litigation.  It is designed to provide a foundation for Pretrial Litigation, an advanced course in which students further develop these skills by participating in a semester-long simulated litigation.

Students are divided into "law firms" of three students each. Working largely from a single case file (currently one involving a claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act) the firms conduct a series of skills exercises covering:

1. Client interviewing;
2. Complaint drafting;
3. Answer drafting;
4. Depositions;
5. Motions;
6. Alternative dispute resolution; and
7. Settlement.

Generally, there is a classroom introduction to each skill, followed in most instances by consultation and preparation, and then by student performances. There is no final examination. Rather, evaluation is on the basis of each firm?s file, reflecting the work it has done over the semester.