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Trial Advocacy

Level: Open to students entering grades 11 or 12 or freshman year of college in fall 2013.

Session: II, July 16-August 2, 2013

Days & Time: Monday-Friday, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM and 2:00-4:00 PM

Instructor(s): Florina Altshiler,

Prerequisites: Experience with debate or oral presentation.

Related Courses: Students interested in this course might also be interested in Leadership in Law or Constitutional Law. Freshmen and Sophomores who enroll in Introduction to Trial Advocacy in Session I may also apply for Trial Advocacy in Session II.

"We studied actual trial cases and complemented our classroom lecture with mock trials and class trips to live state & federal courtroom proceedings."

- Marissa Grieco, 2012

"I loved the diversity of the legal and ethical beliefs in the student body."

- Ross Chapman, 2012

Course Description

Designed for students with a declared interest in law and oral argumentation or debate, this intensive program immerses students in the world of the trial court.

Following an introduction to the history and structure of trial advocacy, students acquire a solid understanding of the trial process from opening statements to direct and cross examination to closing arguments. Students learn to gather, validate, and analyze evidence with an eye on developing a trial strategy as well as incorporating the evidence into oral arguments. The rules of conduct that govern the U.S. trial system are explored as are the various strategies of oral argumentation most commonly used in legal practice.

Students attend lectures and demonstrations featuring practicing professionals in the field of trial advocacy. At the heart of the program, though, are daily exercises, designed to hone students' argumentative skills, that are rooted in hypothetical legal cases. The program culminates in a moot court session, where students present a case prepared throughout the program before a sitting judge and "real" jury.

Instructor(s)

Florina Altshiler

Florina Altshiler recently relocated to Anchorage, Alaska, where she is an assistant district attorney for the State of Alaska handling the prosecution of all levels of crime through jury trial. She has served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy, both civil and criminal, at St. John's School of Law, where she was a Rosenberg Scholar and an Institutional Merit Scholar. She has received the Dr. Thomas C. Beneventano Award for Legal Medicine and an Excellence for the Future Award in Criminal Trial Advocacy as well as the U.S. President's Student Service Award for Outstanding Service to America and United Hospital Fund's Student Achievement Award. Her experience includes over seven years of defense litigation of complex medical malpractice cases and all aspects of insurance claims, including premises liability and automobile and construction accident litigation. She has worked at the Kings and Queens County District Attorney’s Office; has served as a judge at national and state level mock trial competitions for high schools, colleges, and law schools; and has served as an arbitrator for the Civil Court of the City of New York.

Specific course information, such as hours and instructors, are subject to change at the discretion of the University.