Trial & Appellate Advocacy Concentration Courses
All Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration students must complete five (5) required courses; an externship or clinical program; and at least three (3) Concentration elective courses, as follows.
In planning their schedules concentrators should be mindful that the required Evidence course covers foundational material and should be taken first. The required Clinical course will put the student's acquired litigation skills into practice and optimally should be taken last. For those students writing a Thesis, the Thesis Seminar must be taken by the second semester prior to graduation. This allows for any necessary adjustments and improvements to the Thesis in the final semester prior to graduation.
The approved Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration courses are described below. In order to successfully complete the Trial and appellate Advocacy Concentration, students must take a minimum of twenty three (23) credits in the following approved Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration courses, including the five (5) required courses and the required clinical or externship program.
Note that not all courses are offered each semester and some may not be offered each year. Please plan accordingly.
A. Core Courses
All Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration students must complete five (5) required courses:
| 1. One (1) Evidence course: | |
|---|---|
| Evidence | 4 credits |
| 2. One (1) Pretrial course: | |
| Pretrial Civil Litigation | 3 credits |
| State Criminal Practice | 2 credits |
| Federal Criminal Practice Seminar | 2 credits |
| 3. An Appellate course: | |
| Appellate Practice and Advocacy | 3 credits |
| 4. An Alternative Dispute Resolution course: | |
| Arbitration of Domestic and International Disputes | 3 credits |
| Mediation | 3 credits |
| Negotiation | 2 credits |
| Online Dispute Resolution for ADR | 2 credits |
| 5. A Trial Advocacy course: | |
| Trial Advocacy | 2 credits |
| Trial Advocacy - Intensive | 3 credits |
B. Externships* and Clinical Courses**
All Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration students must complete an externship or clinical program.
| At least 1 course: | |
|---|---|
| Accelerator-to-Practice Program | 5 credits |
| Family Advocacy Clinic | 5 credits |
| Health Law Clinic | 5 credits |
| Immigrant Justice Clinic | 5 credits |
| Human Rights & Indigenous People Clinic | 5 credits |
| Intellectual Property Clinic | 5 credits |
| Litigation Related Externship | 2 - 5 credits |
| Juvenile Defender Clinic | 5 credits |
| Suffolk Defenders Clinic | 5 credits |
| Suffolk Prosecutors Clinic | 5 credits |
*Participation in the Legal Externship Program requires prior approval by the Concentration Faculty Director. Externships must be arranged through the Legal Externship Office in advance of the semester(s) during which a student will participate. For information on the process of securing a legal externship, go to Legal Externships. You are also encouraged to make an appointment with the Legal Externship Office to discuss legal externships further. **Participation in any of the Clinical Programs requires application and acceptance in advance of the semester(s) during which a student will participate. Each Clinical Program has its own prerequisite courses and rules as to how students are selected for participation. If you are considering a Clinical Program, please be sure to consult the individual program's web site at Clinical Programs. You are also encouraged to make an appointment with the Clinical Programs Office to discuss the Clinical Programs further.
C. Litigation and Advocacy-Related Elective Courses
All Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration students must complete at least three (3) Concentration elective courses.
i Course will be offered every other year
ii Up to 2 credits on an appropriate topic that must be approved by one of the Concentration Directors.