Author: cdtalaw

Gaming And Education, Part One

Gaming And Education, Part One

Games, especially video games, are more popular than ever. The advancement of technology and the state of cinematic state-of-the-art digitally generated graphics makes it difficult to tell some games from an actual film or video. Of course, many people think gamers spend an inordinate amount of time gaming and could better use this time for developing other skills to deal with everyday life. But that may be a very flawed characterization of games, since gaming may be a highly productive activity which tests and develops a substantial number of transferable skills and abilities. When you consider gaming’s capacity and power...

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The Perks Of A Student Mentor

The Perks Of A Student Mentor

For those who have already graduated from law school, imagine yourself on your first day of law school. Remember the nervousness, trepidation, and feeling of utter cluelessness. Then, imagine yourself in your last year of law school, cool, calm, ready to take on the world as an attorney-advocate. Well, almost. Imagine if, as a first-year law student, you had the older, more experienced you as a mentor to answer questions, clarify legal concepts, and just tell you where to get a good pizza in town. There are many perks of having a student mentor whose studies are advanced beyond yours. There...

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The Next Wave: Using Legal Voice-Recognition Software

The Next Wave: Using Legal Voice-Recognition Software

Many years ago when law firm receptionists used rotary phones without caller ID to take messages, and secretaries used typewriters to draft documents, attorneys used dictating machines, or Dictaphones, to create pleadings, correspondences, notes, and anything else that they needed. Trends always seem to return over time, even in the realm of legal technology. Currently, this statement may be applied to lawyers using voice recognition software with more frequency. Sometimes called speech recognition, voice automation, or speech dictation software, voice recognition software has replaced the Dictaphone. The difference is that attorneys are dictating to software that is transferring their words immediately...

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There are Many Paths To A Meaningful Legal Career – Legal Information/Research

There are Many Paths To A Meaningful Legal Career – Legal Information/Research

There are many meaningful career paths for law school graduates, especially those that have utilized their training at the California Desert Trial Academy to become effective attorney-advocates. One such somewhat alternative path for those law students who spend endless hours in the library is working as a legal information professional. While this may be a formal term for a law librarian, it also includes legal research, legal writing, and the analysis of legal information Law librarians are legal information professionals who work in a variety of library settings including law firms, law schools, courts, government organizations, and the legal departments of businesses...

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File Management For Attorneys: Initial Physical File Organization

File Management For Attorneys: Initial Physical File Organization

A legal matter’s initial file organization sets the standard for effective file maintenance. Right or wrong, competence is associated with organization; and client perception is crucial to malpractice claim avoidance and client retention. No file number should be assigned for billing purposes until the retainer agreement is signed and the conflicts check has been completed. Analysis of a firm’s practice areas should identify subfile categories. Along with basic client personal information, the following is a list of categories for client files: attorney notes and file memoranda substantive pleadings discovery pleadings correspondence legal research client documents drafts corporate documents demonstrative/documentary evidence   These files...

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Sole Practitioners Must Know Their Cost Per Hour

Sole Practitioners Must Know Their Cost Per Hour

I have known more than a few attorneys who were abysmal at math. Fortunately, a brilliant secretary or handy calculator was around to bail them out on almost every occasion. Of course, these individuals did not become lawyers to do math problems and as long as they could compute (knew) their target cost per hour to make their desired profits, all was well and their practices succeeded, if not, thrived. When starting a law practice, a firm commitment to marketing the firm for so many hours a week is essential to success. Estimates of costs and hours may be used when...

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More FAQ About Legal Malpractice Insurance

More FAQ About Legal Malpractice Insurance

Legal malpractice insurance is a specialized form of professional liability insurance designed for legal professionals that protects them from lawsuits alleging sub-standard work or some mistake, such as failing to file a lawsuit within the statute of limitations. Such insurance typically pays both the legal fees and any settlement associated with a lawsuit covered by malpractice insurance up to the policy’s limits. Lawyers in the market for legal malpractice insurance for the first time may want to check with the state insurance regulating agency to ensure that a carrier under consideration is presently in good standing in the state. Here are more...

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Some FAQ About Legal Malpractice Insurance

Some FAQ About Legal Malpractice Insurance

The public and prospective clients assume lawyers have the requisite amount of legal expertise, and the ability to apply such expertise correctly when retained to handle client matters. When lawyers make mistakes, they may be sued for any damage or harm caused by their misfeasance. Legal malpractice insurance helps lawyers protect themselves from covered lawsuits that accuse them of making errors. When shopping for legal malpractice insurance, a wise course of action is to contact at least three carriers and compare costs, deductibles, coverage limits (per claim and aggregate), as well as other coverage terms. Here are some frequently asked questions and...

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Lawyers and Timekeeping

Lawyers and Timekeeping

Like traditional law schools, the California Desert Trial Academy’s (CDTA) curriculum is designed to teach students the substantive law of core subject areas. Unlike traditional law schools, CDTA emphasizes training and developing students to be capable and competent advocates in any courtroom. The California Desert Trial Academy (CDTA) is a 21st Century law school that moves students toward a successful legal career on the first day of class. We believe that practical experience in tandem with legal knowledge is the best road to a successful, rewarding, and prosperous legal career. It is a simple notion that attorneys sell time. Some would...

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Flipping The Law School Classroom

Flipping The Law School Classroom

The California Desert Trial Academy College of Law (CDTA) adheres to a modern, innovative learning platform that improves on the traditional model of educating law students. The CDTA utilizes this more practical and modern approach not only to train, educate, and develop students to be exceptional attorneys but to also train them to be exceptional trial advocates. Flipping learning refers to a growing educational practice that is increasingly being used by institutions of higher learnings to teach doctrinal subjects. Flipping the classroom involves showing videos to students who watch these short presentations outside of the classroom and following it with person-to-person classroom instruction for active,...

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