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California Desert Trial Academy College Of Law

Understanding Law Today: Why Do Most Cases Settle?

understanding law

As a trial attorney, you are expected to have many skills geared toward winning in the courtroom, as well as experience and hopefully, a stellar track record. This means taking on cases that will go to court and winning them—and often suffering through trials that no one else wanted to take on. As a trial attorney, you must be skilled at understanding your client thoroughly, as well as the opponent, with a clear strategy for defeating them in court. Research skills, writing skills, interpersonal skills, negotiating skills, and the ability to command the courtroom are all essential for your career...

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Popularity of Online Law Schools is Growing

online law schools

As online law schools become popular, you may look back on how law school always seems to require a physical presence. Most of us are familiar with the stereotype of the overly exhausted law student falling asleep standing up or during meals due to study exhaustion and sleep deprivation, along with attending class hoping to be the perfect student, making straight A’s, and graduating at the top of their class. If this was you at one time in life, or if you are kind of hoping to get accepted into that lifestyle soon, finding out that you can experience it...

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What Sets Trial Lawyers Apart

trial lawyers

If you are attending California Desert Trial Academy College of Law, then you must envision yourself graduating and becoming one of the successful trial lawyers of California. We have all enjoyed a variety of different movies and television shows featuring savvy lawyers who know how to steal the scene in court, leaving the jury and everyone else riveted—and of course, winnng the case dramatically. The basics in being a trial lawyer include bringing in the clients, interviewing them and finding out all the details of their cases, and then representing them in court. This is also, however, one of the areas...

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The First Year Versus the Last Year of Law School

law school

The first year of law school can be an intense exercise in adaptation. While you may begin attending law school, whether online at an institution like California Desert Trial Academy College of Law, or in a physical classroom, the first few months especially can be difficult—no matter how prepared you thought you were! All the talk in the world can be helpful before you begin school, but it cannot compare to the experience of studying voluminous amounts of coursework, learning to organize copious amounts of study material, and also juggling other issues which can be stressful too such as competition...

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Understanding Key Challenges in Basic Negotiations

key challenges

For many, the law is a calling, along with understanding key challenges in helping clients. Rising students may feel a need to see justice served, along with enjoying using their talents in argument and negotiation. And while you may have a natural propensity for taking control of a dispute with greater articulation than others, there is much that must be studied and learned to be a master negotiator. Some negotiations may be fluid in nature—and even enjoyable to attend—while other experiences may remind you of playing a treacherous game of chess. Understanding a few key points as you delve into the...

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Breaking the Stalemate in Legal Negotiations

stalemate

While negotiating may be an art, it can also be an intense exercise in patience--especially in the presence of a stalemate. One must be able to look at the complete overview, see the total picture, understand the backgrounds of both sides, get a grip on how the legal conflict came to be in the first place, and create a strategy that not only pleases the client with a successful outcome, but hopefully allows everyone to win in the end somehow. Even the best, the brightest, and the most experienced negotiators can meet the dreaded impasse though. It can be frustrating if...

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Five Surefire Ways to Win in Negotiating

It is often said that most people don’t really listen, they just wait to reply, and that is not always a good strategy if you want to win in negotiating. And while producing a killer reply is an excellent skill to have as a negotiator, if you have the true ability to sit back and size up a situation without emotion or immediate reaction, the ball will often be right where you want it: in your court. Negotiating is a heavily nuanced art though, with many ways to reach the desired outcome. Here are fire surefire ways to win: Be...

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Law Students: Learning to Negotiate in Litigation

litigation

As an attorney, you will be expected to be good at negotiating, and your clients will rely on you to use these skills in their stead, especially in litigation issues. As a trial attorney, however, you are held to an even higher benchmark, presumed to be a master at arguing, negotiating, and in some cases, a lot of getting down to the nitty gritty with bargaining. As a law student, you will inevitably find nearly every minute of your life filled with class, preparing for class, studying, becoming prolific as a writer of outlines, and more. You may, just like...

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At the Bargaining Table? Know Your Opponent!

bargaining table

Whether you are a new law student or a seasoned attorney, you may find negotiating to be exciting. While this may seem intimidating or stressful to some—and especially if you have not had much experience at the bargaining table yet—having repeated positive outcomes for your clients can be extremely rewarding for everyone involved. Each time you enter and complete negotiations, you will learn something, and likely, your confidence levels will rise. Strategy is always key in negotiating. And while you may be tempted to take a more aggressive, competitive approach, working in your client’s best interest, a win-win all around should...

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Patience is a Key Attribute for Master Negotiators

master negotiators

While having and expressing emotions is purely human, it is best to keep most of them well-contained during legal proceedings and discussions with other colleagues who may well be master negotiators. Some level of vulnerability may be helpful as both sides work together in reaching an agreement—and both empathy and sympathy can play a major role in helping you as an attorney to understand all parties involved and create a winning result; however, most of us have seen an outburst or two in the courtroom, in mediation, or just at the bargaining table—and it’s never pretty. Keeping your feelings in check...

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