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California Desert Trial Academy College Of Law
09 January
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How To Brief A Case: Part One

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, First year law students, Studying
How To Brief A Case: Part One

Law students “brief” cases as a method of preparing for class. A brief is a short summary and analysis of a case. It identifies issues, parties, the decision, and the underlying reasoning of the decision. While case briefs include the same information, they vary as to their form. Regardless of the method chosen, law students should check with their professors to ensure that they have chosen an acceptable method that will enable them to learn what they need to know for the final exam. In Part One of our blog on how to brief a case, we’ll focus on the...

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03 January
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A Quick Guide To Running A Law Practice: Managing Staff

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice
A Quick Guide To Running A Law Practice: Managing Staff

Most law schools teach students how to pass the bar exam but fail to teach them how to transition into a successful legal practitioner. While these law schools teach students knowledge of the law, they provide little or no information about running a business. The California Desert Trial Academy educates, trains, and develops students with an emphasis on teaching them the practice of law, rather than just the knowledge of the law. This includes teaching skills that enable graduates to start their own firm if they should choose this avenue of practicing law. Once you start your own law practice, you’ll...

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02 January
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The Tools Of Trial Advocacy: Skilled Cross-Examination

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice, Training

Cross-examination has been described as the “greatest legal engine ever invented for the discovery of truth.” 5 J. Wigmore, Evidence § 1367, p. 32. Any good trial attorney must be skilled at cross-examination. This skill is necessary for anyone who wants to be a true attorney-advocate. Some say those attorneys who are best at cross-examination aren’t the most charismatic orators, but the hardest workers. They prepare for cross-examination as if they are preparing for a marathon race and observe the following course of action: Reviewing and examining every document, transcript, email, and writing; Listing the evidence available for every subject and cross-referencing...

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31 December
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Why California Laws Are At The Forefront

Posted by cdtalaw
in California law, CDTA, Substantive Law
Why California Laws Are At The Forefront

California laws are at the forefront of legislation in the United States. Whether related to cannabis, the environment, employment, human trafficking, consumer protection and privacy, the list of cutting-edge legislation is long. A 108-year-old California ballot initiative system enables anyone with the required number of signatures to get virtually anything on the ballot. “If a citizen wants to get a law passed, they don’t have to do it in a conventional way. That’s given rise to a do-it-yourself political culture that doesn’t exist in other places,” said California expert Jim Newton, author of “Jerry Brown and the Creation of Modern California.”...

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30 December
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Regrouping For The Second Semester

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, High Pressure, Studying
Regrouping For The Second Semester

Law school is a marathon. Although you have a finite amount of time to earn your JD, the opportunities for mistakes during this time are vast. But the key is learning from these mistakes and not repeating them. It’s also essential to have the ability to regroup for the next brief, exam, paper, or semester so that you grow as a law student. If you have had an unsatisfactory first semester and want to regroup for the next, self-examination is the place to start. Be humble. You must be able to admit that you may be the problem and try to identify...

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27 December
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Learn From Those Experienced

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Internships & Mentors
Learn From Those Experienced

The California Desert Trial Academy’s (CDTA) unique learning platform emphasizes that students learn the soft skills, utilize internships, and connect with mentors. This education develops the practical experience to help graduates immediately gain success working as attorney-advocates. While there’s no substitute for personal experience, the next best thing is learning from someone with more experience than you. It’s a simple notion but one that has been truly tested by time - learn from those who are experienced. The importance of learning from those around us cannot be overestimated. Making ourselves open to learning from others allows us to benefit from their...

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26 December
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CDTA: On The Cutting Edge With Distance Learning

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Distance learning, Distance learning law school, Online Law School
CDTA: On The Cutting Edge With Distance Learning

The California Desert Trial Academy (CDTA) brings legal education home. We’re on the cutting edge of modern, progressive 21st Century legal education. The use of distance learning in legal education is rapidly increasing. While many law schools have been slow to incorporate distance learning into their curriculums, the CDTA has implemented new, innovative ways of teaching students how to be attorney advocates. Not everyone can change their normal routine to attend law school on a regular basis. This is especially true when you consider that traditional law schools require your attendance for most of the day. Distance learning helps those who cannot...

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24 December
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Free Legal Research Resources

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Legal Research
Free Legal Research Resources

The California Desert Trial Academy meets the needs of modern law students. Those who are looking for a different approach to legal education need not look any further than the CDTA. Our four-year Juris doctorate program allows working adults of the Coachella Valley the opportunity to obtain a legal education. Legal research is expensive, but there are various options available for free. In past years, these options were somewhat limiting. However, the field of legal research is in the middle of a long transition from traditional hard copy books to digital formats. Until you build your law library, there are more...

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23 December
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CDTA Promotes Student Inclusion Not Exclusion

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA
CDTA Promotes Student Inclusion Not Exclusion

CDTA accepted its first class of students in 2012, focusing on a more logical, practical approach to legal education in the 21st Century. This focus emphasizes the same extensive educational platform as traditional law schools while considering the traditional deficiencies of today’s law school graduates. At CDTA, not only do we educate students, but we also train and develop them to be exceptional trial advocates. A primary focus of the California Desert Trial Academy (CDTA) is the inclusion of all students in every phase and aspect of our learning platform and social environment. The competitiveness of law school can have a...

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19 December
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Bar Exam Basics: What If I Failed?

Posted by cdtalaw
in Bar Exam, CDTA, High Pressure
Bar Exam Basics: What If I Failed?

Every law student is worth more than their ability to pass or fail the bar exam. Let’s get that straight. The bar exam does not define your self-worth. If you failed; it’s over and done. The next course of action after forgetting the past result is planning your preparation for passing the test the next time that you take it. If you dread the fact that you must take it again, then consider that you have the experience of just having experienced it. Remember what you did well and what was problematic. Use this knowledge as an outline to your...

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CONTACT INFORMATION

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

Call: (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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