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California Desert Trial Academy College Of Law
09 October
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Best Courtroom Movies – 12 Angry Men

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Uncategorized

One of the most significant courtroom movies of the 20th Century is 12 Angry Men made in 1957 and directed by Sidney Lumet. Interestingly, in 1982, Lumet would direct what many consider another classic courtroom film, The Verdict, starring Paul Newman. The film notably almost exclusively uses one set - a jury deliberation room - where all but three minutes of the film takes place. Cast: Martin Balsam as Juror 1, the jury foreman. John Fiedler as Juror 2, a bank worker. Lee J. Cobb as Juror 3, the owner of a courier business. E. G. Marshall as Juror 4, a stockbroker. Jack Klugman as Juror...

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07 October
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Practicing Lawyers Must Consider The Americans With Disability Act

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice
Practicing Lawyers Must Consider The Americans With Disability Act

The websites of lawyers, like any other business enterprise, are subject to the requirements and mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Attorneys must understand how to make their websites accessible to people with disabilities and prepare their websites for potential ADA scrutiny while avoiding wasting money chasing the illusion of “ADA compliance.” When first enacted thirty years ago, not surprisingly, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) did not include the term “website” as a form of Public Accommodation for Title III. It applies to physical buildings. The ADA, 42 U.S.C. § 12101, originally became effective on July 26, 1990, predating...

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06 October
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Online Education Delivery Modelis: The Asynchronous Model

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Distance learning, Distance learning law school, Online Law School
Online Education Delivery Modelis: The Asynchronous Model

Even before the coronavirus pandemic reared its ugly head and changed life as we know it, distance learning was on its way to becoming one of the standard forms of instruction for American students at all levels of education, with a significant impact already occurring at the secondary level. Colleges are making distance classes available, and graduate programs, such as law, have followed suit as well. Distance learning goes beyond for-profit and entry-level colleges as some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, and MIT have implemented distance learning programs. The “asynchronous” learning model, in the words...

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05 October
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Online Education Delivery Modelis: The Synchronous Model

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Distance learning, Distance learning law school, Online Law School
Online Education Delivery Modelis: The Synchronous Model

In 2011, the inaugural meeting of the Working Group for Distance Learning in Legal Education took place at Harvard University. The workshop brought together individuals from many of the most active legal distance education programs as an opportunity to exchange information on the state and breadth of current practice while investigating those practices that may be best promoted to advance the field. There are several models for delivering distance education and the curriculum taught in current programs. One such model is the “synchronous” model which more closely resembles traditional, in-class instruction. The California Desert Trial Academy College of Law (CDTA) allows synchronous learning...

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01 October
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Answering The Question: Why Did I Become A Lawyer?

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice, Uncategorized
Answering The Question: Why Did I Become A Lawyer?

Years from now, after you have graduated from law school, you go out for a cup of coffee and, while enjoying it, initiate a conversation with a stranger. Ultimately, this stranger asks  “Why did you become a lawyer?” How do you answer it? Is your response as simple as “I love the law” or “for the money.” Or is it a longer, more well-reasoned response? So what is the best answer to the question "Why do I want to become a lawyer?" or "Why did I become a lawyer?" Because: I possess and convey knowledge of the ability to communicate and negotiate...

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30 September
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Common Sense Legal Writing Tips

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in Uncategorized
Common Sense Legal Writing Tips

How does an attorney make a legal brief more persuasive? Lawyers are always searching for the golden nugget that will persuade a judge or jury, but often it does not exist. Instead, an overall strategy that maximizes certain writing talents is optimal. One approach is remembering to practice the ABC’s of legal writing: Accuracy, Brevity, and Clarity. Here are some tips for implementing these writing ideals. Identify and know your audience Knowing your true audience is key. In the case of any legal brief, the audience, the reader, is the court and not opposing counsel or the parties. One good way to...

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29 September
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Litigating In The Age Of Social Media

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice, Trial Advocacy
Litigating In The Age Of Social Media

Social media has “deprivatized” society and, as a result, people have varying opinions about the true usefulness of social media. While these opinions may correlate to certain age demographics, almost everyone to some extent finds some use for social media, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or Pinterest.  While social media may truly be significantly useful, it presents the potential to have deleterious effects on litigants. The availability of social media’s endless sea of information, much of it unchecked and unverified, presents various challenges for litigators. Litigating in 2020 requires attorneys to review and monitor any types of social media in...

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28 September
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Simple Benefits Of Distance Learning

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Distance learning, Distance learning law school, Online Law School
Simple Benefits Of Distance Learning

Students may derive many diverse but simple benefits from distance learning. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, students are in a prime position to realize these benefits. Since its inception in 2012 as a graduate institution that recognized the importance of distance learning, the California Desert Trial Academy College of Law has provided a cutting-edge online learning platform that takes full advantage of the benefits provided by distance learning. The CDTA is ready for the pandemic! When the COVID-19 virus closed businesses and schools, requiring the latter to embrace distance learning for the near future and perhaps longer, the details of each institution’s...

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25 September
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Using Electronic Signatures In 2020 During The Pandemic

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice
Using Electronic Signatures In 2020 During The Pandemic

In the last two decades, the federal court system has implemented online filing to modernize and streamline (reduce) costs related to time and money. While some courts within the federal system, such as bankruptcy courts, have, in most cases, permitted attorneys and litigants to execute their signatures electronically, documents with original signatures must still be filed with the court. Presently, more courts are adopting and allowing the use of electronic signatures on documents filed with the court. On March 18, 2020, Senate Bill 3533, the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act of 2020 (the “SECURE Act”), was introduced...

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22 September
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Principles Of Professional Conduct – Competence

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice, Soft Skills, Training
Principles Of Professional Conduct – Competence

The preamble of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct describes a lawyer and member of the legal profession as “. . . a representative of clients, an officer of the legal system and a public citizen having special responsibility for the quality of justice.” One primary principle of the Model Rules is that a lawyer must be competent as a representative of clients. In 2018, the California Supreme Court issued an order that approved 69 Rules of Professional Conduct for California attorneys, rejecting only one. These new rules became effective in November of 2018 and closely follow the ABA Model Rules of Professional...

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California Desert Trial Academy College of Law
45-290 Fargo Street
Indio, CA 92201
(760) 342-0900

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Statement of Nondiscrimination

Consistent with sound educational policy, CDTA College of Law does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, ancestry, religious creed, national origin, disability, medical condition, age, marital status, political affiliation, gender identity, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

California State Bar Standard and Required Disclosure

The method of instruction at this law school for the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree program is principally in physical classroom facilities.

Students enrolled in the J.D. degree program at this law school who successfully complete the first year of law study must pass the First-Year Law Students Examination required by Business and Professions Code 6060(h) and Rule VIII of the Rules Regulating Admission to Practice Law in California as part of the requirements to qualify to take the California Bar Examination.

A student who passes the First-Year Law Students Examination within three (3) administrations of the examination after first becoming eligible to take it will receive credit for all legal studies completed to the time the examination is passed. A student who does not pass the examination within three (3) administrations of the examination after first becoming eligible to take it must be promptly disqualified from the law school’s J.D. degree program. If the dismissed student subsequently passes the examination, the student is eligible for re-enrollment in this law school’s J.D. degree program, but will receive credit for only one year of legal study.

Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or to satisfy the requirements for admission to practice in jurisdictions other than California. A student intending to seek admission to practice law in a jurisdiction other than California should contact the admitting authority in that jurisdiction for information regarding the legal education requirements in that jurisdiction for admission to the practice of law.

Copyright CDTA California Desert Trial Academy College of Law. All rights reserved. The Desert’s first and only Law School. Proudly serving all of Southern California; accepting applications from Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.

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