Distance learning law school

Think You Live Too Far Away from CDTA to Go to Law School? Think Again!

soft skills

At the California Desert Trial Academy, College of Law, our goal is to see you succeed in law school. If you live too far away from our campus in Indio to comfortably drive in three nights a week, you may be eligible to participate in our unique Distance Learning Program. This State Bar approved, hybrid program allows you to attend classes from the comfort of your home by attending remotely through the Zoom platform. You will attend class at the same time as your classmates attending in person by logging into our program on your computer. You will be able to...

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As A Law Student & Future Attorney—Learn to Love Doing Research!

If you are planning on a career as a trial attorney, you probably find yourself envisioning your future frequently during law school. Practicing law as a trial attorney can be exciting and rewarding. However, the bulk of your work as an attorney will require a great deal of legal research, reading, and writing. If that sounds familiar to you as a law student, you are correct. Law school offers a great training ground for the skills required to be a successful attorney and you will certainly do your fair share of reading, writing and researching. That overwhelming feeling you may have...

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Communicating Powerfully in the Legal Arena: Always Write to Your Reader

communicating

Even the most seasoned lawyers and judges enjoy reading clearly written material. While legalese may seem to be the accepted norm, if you want to get your point across to others fully, it’s quite simple: you must be a bold and inspiring communicator with organized and intelligent thoughts. And just as in negotiating or arguing in court, you must know who your reader is. In writing to your reader you can connect in a powerful manner that may be surprisingly effective time and time again. Although legal issues can be rather dry at times, and you may not have a lot...

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Should You Seek Out an Attorney Mentor?

There is a steep learning curve in the legal profession. It can take years as an attorney to really feel you have mastered the art of lawyering. There is a way to dramatically shorten that time so you are ready to practice law fresh out of law school. That is with the assistance of a mentor. At CDTA, Dean John Patrick Dolan founded the law school to develop strong trial attorneys. He envisioned a training program similar to that of a residency program in the medical field. He understood from his own experience the power of working with an attorney mentor...

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Legal Writing: Learn to Be More Compelling to Your Readers

legal writing

You may be surprised to find that there is quite a bit of extremely bad writing stored away in law libraries. Not all attorneys are great writers and you will find that many attorneys submit poorly written motions and briefs to the Court. You will also find that these attorneys develop a less than stellar reputation with Judges and other counsel because of this. At CDTA, you will learn strong writing skills that will prevent you from ever submitting documents that rely on outdated legalese, with many unnecessary words thrown into the mix for good measure. You may also be surprised...

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Don’t Let Stress & Study Burnout Lead to Depression or Other Health Issues

Although your first year of law school can feel overwhelming and you may struggle with study burnout at times, the key is to find a balance between excelling in school and maintaining your health.  If you suspect you may be suffering from burnout—or perhaps you are on your way there—it is time to take a breather, no matter what is going on. Typical symptoms of burnout are escalating anxiety and depression, abnormal exhaustion that cannot be quelled, inability to focus, and feelings of being generally numb or even somewhat regretful about decisions such as attending law school. The truth is that...

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Study Fever? Why You Should Avoid Overuse of Caffeine

caffeine

If there was a true secret shortcut to getting ahead in law school, surely it would have been uncovered by now. And while there are many study tips and tricks available to all, the use of mood-altering substances is never a good idea. You may enjoy the taste of a nice hot cup of java in the morning or like a pick-me-up in the afternoon, but overuse of caffeine will work against you--just as alcohol or any drugs will do too. Most of us are familiar with the stereotype of the exhausted law student or attorney, slumped over a desk littered...

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The Five Most Common Worries About Your 1L Year

common worries

Finding out that you were accepted into law school was probably one of the most exciting days of your life and now that you are a law student, there are plenty more milestones ahead, and many common worries blended in with the excitement. Law school exams, internships, the state-mandated exams, passing the bar, being sworn in to practice and your first trial are just a few events that you have to look forward to. Law school has a reputation for being extremely rigorous, especially for first-year law students, and with good reason. There is a lot of knowledge to absorb, and...

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Legal Negotiations—Some Stalemates Cannot Be Overcome

stalemates

Negotiating is a fine art and one that can end in triumphs or sometimes stalemates, unfortunately. While the process may sometimes be seamless, and all parties involved may be able to agree expediently, those are usually the bonus deals. In most cases, you would not be present at the negotiating table to begin with if everyone was having an easy time coming to an agreement. And just like going to court, you will not win every round of negotiations, unfortunately—as hard as you may try. To hedge your bets, however, do not enter negotiations lightly or without an arsenal of information...

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Forgot Something in Your Notes? CDTA Offers Ongoing Access to Lectures

lectures

Law school is centered around lectures, reading assignments, and case briefing. The workload can be great, especially in your 1L year as you adjust to a new way of thinking and writing. Your professors will expect you to be able to read voluminous amounts of material for each class, learn and memorize new legal rules and concepts and most importantly, learn how to apply the law to the facts. The volume of classwork can be daunting for even the best and the brightest of  law students entering their first year. You may find yourself in a panic at times, trying to...

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