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Course Details

Trial Advocacy (Lin)

Spring 2025   LAW 702-001  

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Faculty
Susan Lin

Lecturer in Law

slin@krlawphila.com
Additional Information
Experiential Course

Yes

Skills Training
Oral Presentations
Team Projects

Grading
100% Participation,
Other (Class participation depends on preparation of well constructed arguments, direct examinations and cross examinations.)

Satisfies Senior Writing Requirement

No

Location

Class meets in person.

Course Continuity
Students are encouraged to stay home if you are ill or experience flu-like symptoms. If you miss a class for any reason, it is still your responsibility to make up the work missed.

I offer the following to students who miss class due to illness:

- Class sessions are regularly recorded. If you are absent due to illness or some other unavoidable circumstance, email me and I can send you an email with instructions for accessing the recording for the class session(s) you missed.

- Please make an appointment to meet with me and I will review/answer questions about what you missed.

Meeting Times/Location
M 6:40PM - 8:30PM
Golkin Hall 70

Category
Upper-Level

Credits
2.0

Trial Advocacy is both an art and a science. Experienced trial lawyers base all courtroom decisions on a cohesive and consistent theory of the case. This course will teach the fundamental skills of direct examination, cross-examination, objections, preparation of witnesses, examination of expert witnesses, introduction of documents, opening statements and closing arguments rooted in case theory. The course culminates in a full mock trial. All students will participate every week in exercises to develop trial skills. It is strongly recommended that students have completed, or are currently enrolled in an Evidence course. Attendance, preparation, and participation are mandatory.

Note about course materials: The "textbook" in this course is Lubet's Modern Trial Advocacy: Analysis and Practice. Students can purchase the current version or an older version of the book. Students can also read the relevant chapters in the desk copy. The final mock trial will be based on the case file of State v. Peyton (criminal) or Addison v. Peyton (civil). Please wait until after the first class to purchase the case file. Whether the final trial is civil or criminal will depend on the interest of the class members. Various classroom exercises throughout the semester will be based on vignettes that will be posted on Canvas or passed out in class or the exercises will be based on problems in the Problems in Trial Advocacy book by Bocchino and Beskind.

Course Concentrations

Skills Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of the individual course skill; Demonstrate the ability to receive and implement feedback; Demonstrate an understanding of how and when the individual course skill is employed in practice.


Textbooks

"Addison v. Peyton: Case File, Trial Materials" by Boals, Elizabeth
Edition: 3rd 22
Publisher: Aspen Pub
ISBN: 9781601569509
Required

"Problems in Trial Advocacy" by Bocchino and Beskind
Edition: 2023
Publisher: Aspen Pub
ISBN: 9798886690255
Required

"State v Peyton: Case File" by Boals, Elizabeth
Edition: 3rd 22
Publisher: Nita
ISBN: 9781601569523
Required

"Modern Trial Advocacy: Analysis and Practice" by Lubet
Edition: 6th
Publisher: LexisNexis
ISBN: 9781601568984
Recommended

"NITA: Federal Rules of Evidence with Objections" by Bocchino & Sonenshein
Edition: 16th
Publisher: Aspen Pub
ISBN: 9798886690293
Recommended