Litigation Academy: Oral Advocacy In Court

This program focuses on developing skills to present an effective oral argument in court.  Students will be provided with reading materials addressing the mechanics of an effective courtroom presentation.  They will see a lecture by an experienced litigator (now judge) on the art of persuasion.  They will see a demonstration by two highly skilled and experienced federal litigators.  Each student will be provided briefs on a motion to dismiss a civil action on the basis of a lack of personal jurisdiction and asked to argue for or against the motion.  Each argument will be followed with critiques by a judge, an experienced litigator and a professional actor.  The program will also include a lecture on the ethics of oral argument and a panel discussion by judges on the elements that make an oral presentation effective.

Co-Sponsored by the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University School of Law, and the Rhode Island Chapter of the Federal Bar Association

The schedule for the program is as follows:

Tuesday, December 20:
     1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Oral Arguments in four courtrooms

Wednesday, December 21:
     2:00 PM Ethics Lecture

     3:00 PM Panel Discussion

     4:00 PM Post-Program Reception

Register Here - The program has been sold out.  There is now a waitlist. 

Please click here to watch a short video explaining the vision and details of the Litigation Academy. 

If you have any questions about the program, please feel free to contact program chairs, Brooks Magratten (bmagratten@pierceatwood.com; 401-490-3422) or RWU Law Professor Niki Kuckes (nkuckes@rwu.edu; 401-254-4505.)