Distance learning

CDTA’s Key To Student Success: Saturday Learning

CDTA’s Key To Student Success: Saturday Learning

It is important that everyone in the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire communities have an affordable and convenient law degree program available and nearby. The California Desert Trial Academy (CDTA) is a unique educational institution that offers a special curriculum over four years. These classes are offered during the evening to meet the needs of working students and students looking for an alternative to traditional legal education. Weekends are busy around the CDTA, as well. In fact, many students and faculty members believe CDTA’s Saturday program that spotlights learning, developing, and practicing examination skills is a major component of academic success. Studying...

Continue reading

CDTA: Reshaping Legal Education For The Modern Era

CDTA: Reshaping Legal Education For The Modern Era

Education is one of the greatest privileges that we have as human beings. The opportunity to learn in any setting, especially a formal one, is special. It should be cherished since not everyone has this opportunity. There is no excuse for not working as hard as possible in any environment of higher learning. The possibilities are endless. In 2019, legal education is transforming. It’s a transition to a new era. The change is far from complete and, hopefully, ongoing and consistent. Education, especially legal education, is seeking ways to serve the needs of law students better, even if it means discarding traditions...

Continue reading

CDTA’s Unique Curriculum

CDTA: Going Beyond The Basic Curriculum

The California Desert Trial Academy is at the forefront of modern legal education. Our unique Juris doctorate program provides a manageable four-year program that allows many older students the opportunity to pursue a law degree. CDTA’s Curriculum is based on a four-year period of legal study designed not only to teach students the substantive law but to train and develop them to be attorneys who are also capable and effective advocates. In addition to typical core requirements, CDTA offers students courses on subjects that will especially aid them in the practice of law in the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas. 20th...

Continue reading

Older Students Improve Everyone’s Law School Experience

Older Students Improve Everyone’s Law School Experience

Not every law student was concluding undergraduate studies the year before starting law school. Granted, recent undergrads make up about half of a law school’s first-year student body. But roughly two out of five law students are between the ages of 25 and 39. One in ten is 40 or older. About one in five law school applications are from applicants over the age of 30. If one in two law students is a recent undergrad, then do the math. Typically, it takes a considerable amount of time for lawyers to reach a certain level of comfort and confidence in practicing...

Continue reading

About CDTA’s Student Portal

About CDTA’s Student Portal

The Student Portal of the California Desert Trial Academy (CDTA) website is a primary example of how CDTA is at the forefront of contemporary legal education. The institution of the American law school has been stagnant for over 100 years. It has implemented little change in the way it prepares students to be lawyers. It has employed seemingly antiquated methods of teaching the law. Methods that seemed inconsiderate of the practical considerations of law students and the practice of law. The CDTA Student Portal provides access to Fleming’s Fundamentals, Adaptibar Online, and the CDTA Online Class Archives. All are available 24...

Continue reading

Law School: How Many Hours a Week Should I Be Studying?

studying

How much time will it take to prepare for classes and how much studying should you do for exams in law school? While this question has as many answers as there are law students, there is a formula that many professors advocate using. You will most likely want to plan to study for at least two hours for every hour of class. For example, in your first year, you will study Torts, Contracts and Criminal Law. Each class is 3 ½ hours a week. This means you should plan on studying and preparing for each class about 7 hours per...

Continue reading

Studying Hard Skills—The Difference Between Civil & Criminal Procedure

hard skills

Your law school experience will teach you both hard skills such as evidence, contracts, torts, civil and criminal procedure, and soft skills. Soft skills include relationship building, negotiation, and teamwork. As a student at the California Desert Trial Academy, College of Law, you will learn all of the required hard skills during your course work during the week and practice sessions on Saturdays. Soft skills are emphasized during your Saturday Enrichment program where you will network with the local legal community and learn valuable negotiating and practice skills. It is imperative that you develop a strong understanding of both civil and criminal...

Continue reading
Font Resize