Author: cdtalaw

Can I Study Law Online?

Can I Study Law Online?

The legal profession and law schools have traditionally been conservative and slow to adapt to change. That is until the COVID-19 pandemic gave them no choice. Of course, some legal institutions such as the California Desert Trial Academy took a progressive approach to legal education on the day they opened their doors. Even before the coronavirus pandemic necessitated some transition from the live classroom to distance learning, studying law online was becoming a reality at schools like the California Desert Trial Academy. In 2021, anyone with a computer can study online. While online law programs have existed for quite some time,...

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Update on the Summer 2021 Baby Bar

Update on the Summer 2021 Baby Bar

The California “Baby Bar” or as it is more formally known, the First-Year Law Students' Examination (“FSYLX”), is a one-day test given in June and November. The test consists of four one-hour essay questions and 100 multiple-choice questions. The exam only covers three subjects: Contracts, Criminal Law, and Torts. As it did for the November 2020 exam, the State Bar California will conduct the FYLSX under special circumstances because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exam in June will be offered remotely. The Baby Bar is taken by over 700 applicants. Those required to pass the First-Year Law Students’ Exam will not receive credit for any...

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Five Aspects Of The CDTA That Make It A Special Experience

Five Aspects Of The CDTA That Make It A Special Experience

The California Desert Trial Academy is a special place. At least those of us who have experienced it feel this way. We’re confident that you will feel the same way once you have the opportunity to visit the CDTA and discover all that it has to offer. Here is a list of those aspects of academic life at the CDTA that make it special. *Most law schools educate, the CDTA educates, trains, and develops attorney-advocates While the vast majority of traditional law schools view teaching the substantive law as their only function, the CDTA goes beyond this and offers regular instruction in...

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Areas of Practice That Require Understanding of Multiple Legal Subjects

Areas of Practice That Require Understanding of Multiple Legal Subjects

Attorneys practice law in many different contexts, including law firms, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Within each of these environments, attorneys may focus on one or several practice areas. Many, if not most, areas of legal practice involve the understanding of multiple legal subjects. Of course, an obvious example is that any attorney must understand the subject of civil procedure regardless of the area of law in which they practice. Some areas of practice, more than other areas, require an understanding of many different subjects. The practice of bankruptcy law is an excellent example. *Bankruptcy Bankruptcy lawyers represent individual and corporate creditors...

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Planning for the Summer of 2021 as a Law Student

Planning for the Summer of 2021 as a Law Student

While there is some cause for optimism based on the present distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, despite the bureaucratic pitfalls that accompany it, law students may still wonder about what future changes await their academic journeys, which once seemed so predictable and fit a common scheme. Unfortunately, planning for the summer of 2021 as the pandemic continues necessitates dealing with this umbrella of uncertainty. Nonetheless, as any law student would under normal circumstances, it requires a reasonable amount of planning well in advance. While there is no way of knowing the extent to which the effects of the pandemic and any resulting...

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Lawyers And Ergonomics

Lawyers And Ergonomics

In the last few decades, the practice of law has substantially changed. Computers and related technology, specifically the mobile phone, have become a vital part of the 21st-century law practice. The result is that most lawyers spend an abundant amount of time using their computers and mobile devices. While these devices are convenient and time-saving, thus improving the efficiency of the modern law practice and reducing costs, which increases profits, there are drawbacks in the ergonomic issues that are caused by constantly staring at a computer, tablet, or phone. The modern 21st Century lawyer must have a comfortable workspace and utilize...

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Developing Checklists Of Procedures For Legal Practice Issues – Part Two

Developing Checklists Of Procedures For Legal Practice Issues – Part Two

Checklists give rise to systems or processes where both represent a “process” a horizontal workflow for legal services. These processes start at some point in a law practice and conclude with some by-product deliverable to court or client. There is simply no legal practice area that would not derive any benefit from any well-established office procedure. Any process for any practice group must be well established and include everyone involved from partners to administrative assistants. Documenting these processes in writing ensures that the learning curve remains manageable and potential errors subjecting the firm to malpractice liability decrease substantially. As an example, personal injury...

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Developing Checklists Of Procedures For Legal Practice Issues – Part One

Developing Checklists Of Procedures For Legal Practice Issues – Part One

The practice of law requires a long list of procedural and analytical exercises before any client matter may move forward. While the information collected through these exercises may be overwhelming, the implementation of checklists within a law practice ensures that important information is processed, organized, and utilized effectively and efficiently. Checklists offer the following advantages: Checklists may help an attorney mitigate malpractice risks and comply with any ethical obligations. Checklists reduce the resources necessary to train employees and help orient new employees about the firm’s practices, policies, and goals. Checklists eliminate the potential for errors and avoid missing deadlines and other...

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Ten Legal Technology Trends For 2021 – Part Two

Ten Legal Technology Trends For 2021 – Part Two

Here is the second part of our blog on ten technology trends for 2021. Greater thought as to how remote work is performed 2020 saw the implementation of a new workplace model encompassing virtual meetings, mobility, collaboration, and the completion and performance of work remotely away from the office. As a result, law firms must embrace technology to make this new workplace model as seamless and practical as possible. The changes caused by the pandemic are not temporary and have pushed attorneys to create a remote experience for clients that is equal to, if not better than, the traditional office...

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