Counseling Clients for Keeps: With Clarity, Candor & Connection through Bad News and Good
December 3, 2009
(8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
Lawyers Present ... So Present Well
December 3, 2009
(1:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.)
Writing Legally: Judge Painter's Rules for Plain Legal Writing
December 4, 2009
(8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
Client Troubles? It's Time for Psychiatric Advice
Weaver Institute for Law & Psychiatry/Center for Practice CLE Event
December 18, 2009
(8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
Making Mediators Workshop
(2 Thursday Evenings & 2 Fridays)
Spring Semester
Dates to be determined
Actor's Directions for Award Winning Trial Performance
Four Fall Tuesday Evenings
Writing Legally: Judge Painter's Rules for Plain Legal Writing
October 2, 2009
(8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
Check back for more information on the upcoming competitions.
Being an effective lawyer requires more than analyzing legal doctrine. Effective lawyers are highly adept at client interviewing and counseling, decision-making, negotiation, and dispute resolution as well as working with colleagues and managing within an organization. This work requires professional skills in written and oral communication as well as professional, strategic judgments when crafting presentations and documents to the court, colleagues, opposing counsel, and clients. Drawing upon insights from a range of disciplines and expert practitioners, the Center’s courses, workshops, and other program initiatives, seek to enhance professional skills and judgment for the highest level of legal practice.
The Center for Practice seeks to enhance the quality of legal practice by UC law graduates through classroom work and extra-curricular experiences. We encourage an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on the fields of psychology, economics, communication, rhetoric, decision analysis, negotiation and dispute resolution. Capitalizing on UC’s rich urban environment, the Center draws upon the resources of leading law firms, business and civic organizations to provide students with “real world” opportunities.
The Center also serves as a resource for practicing lawyers, providing a forum for dialogue and fostering opportunities for ongoing legal education and research on practice-related issues.
First Year: Within the first year, students are introduced to working with clients and clients’ interests
Second Year: Within the second year, students learn skills and strategies for client interviewing and counseling, including individual coaching and performance feedback. Second year coursework in legal ethics emphasize client and professionalism issues, and (including introduction to decision analysis and individual coached feedback.
Second and Third Year Electives: Courses in trial practice, negotiation, mediation, mediation advocacy, decision analysis, and transactional and litigation practice place students in the lawyers' role in simulated cases. In many of our courses, case simulation exercises permit students to work with business people or others as clients or with practicing lawyers as mediators. Second or third year students also have the opportunity to take “Practice Ones” – mini-electives "attached" to substantive law courses and focused on preparing students for the initial challenges of practice in the area of law.
Students participate in intra-school competitions in trial practice, negotiation, mediation advocacy, or client counseling, with faculty and attorney judging, and feedback. Students selected for regional or national competitions receive additional, intensive coaching.
On the horizon, the Center for Practice is working to develop third year “capstone” courses combining advanced study of law and practice challenges in simulated settings, working and learning with local area lawyers. The Center is also committed to developing additional student workshops in a range of law practice management, organizational leadership and presentation skills.
This year, we will conduct an introduction to negotiation practice most likely on a Fall Friday (date TBA), with demonstrations bo local attorneys followed by student negotioatons and feedback. Students who demonstrate an in negotiations may participate in a Spring ABA competition.
The Center for Practice is pleased to announce the launch of UC Law’s Competition Trial Practice initiative.
By Way of Background
UC Lawhas committed to serious and sustained participation in trial practice competitions, as it has for many years in appellate moot court, negotiation, and mediation.
In spring 2008, a group of students spearheaded by Jerrod Fussnecker '09 proposed a trial practice course tailored to preparation for trial practice competitions and College support for competition coaching. The faculty approved. The College said “yes” and our Center for Practice has assisted with an internal tryouts to select students for the course, set up structures for funding travel, and coaching.
We’ve been working on it and….
We are delighted that Daniel Donnellon, Esq., an experienced and outstanding trial attorney, will teach our trial practice competition course this fall. Brandi Stewart of Keathing Meuthing & Klekamp will again serve as head coach for the trial practice competition Many many Cincinnati attorneys with trial practice and trial competition experience have generously offered to lend us their expertise as judges, advisers or coaches as the year progresses.
Tryouts for next year's team will take place during the spring semester.
For professionals:
The Center facilitates adoption of best practices and insights from a variety of disciplines, offering:
On the horizon:
Connection with the greater university faculty and resources in relevant disciplines. A forum for professional exchange regarding skills and strategies of high level practice. Opportunities for enhancing professional skills and judgment of less experienced attorneys through law school based workshops and capstone experiences, under the guidance of faculty and highly experienced attorneys.