Online Law School

CDTA: Distance Learning During Troubled Times

CDTA: Distance Learning During Troubled Times

As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the country affecting every institution without exception, colleges and universities rush to adapt to address the hardships and inconveniences caused by the global shutdown and implement mechanisms for distance learning. While many law schools have been slow to incorporate distance learning into their curriculums, the CDTA has been on the cutting edge from its inception and implemented new, innovative ways of training students to be exceptional attorney-advocates. The pandemic has removed a substantial degree of regularity from the lives of everyone who works or attends school. The CDTA made an early commitment to distance learning...

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CDTA: Making The Difference

CDTA: Making The Difference

When John Patrick Dolan and Irene Garcia Dolan were inspired to start the California Desert Trial Academy (CDTA) they wanted to provide a path to the legal profession that featured a more practical and modern approach to the way that law students were educated. The Dolans were inspired to not only train, educate, and develop students to be exceptional attorneys, but to also train them to be exceptional trial advocates. Simply put, the Dolans wanted the CDTA to provide a law school experience different from that offered by traditional schools. CDTA accepted its first class of students in 2012, focusing on a more...

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CDTA: Do It Online!

CDTA: Do It Online!

There has been a significant increase in the use of various technologies in education generally and the instruction of law in the 21st Century. The California Desert Trial Academy (CDTA) uses all modern forms of technology to help students, especially those who need to utilize the many facets of distance learning and online resources. Since the California Desert Trial Academy opened in September 2012, it has maintained its’ place on the cutting edge of technology and legal instruction. Distance Learning allows students to attend classes in real time, and interact with other students and professors, as they would if they were...

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Learning Through Archived Classes: An Invaluable Tool

Learning Through Archived Classes: An Invaluable Tool

The California Desert Trial Academy (CDTA) embraces modern technology that helps students learn and achieve academic and professional goals. In the past decades, there has been a significant increase in the use of various technologies in education generally and the instruction of law. Technology has allowed educational institutions at all levels to provide more techniques, options, and solutions for their students, including archived classes. The California Desert Trial Academy opened in September 2012, offering a unique approach to legal education in the 21st Century. Co-Founder and Dean John Patrick Dolan, a distinguished legal advocate in his own right, had the vision...

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CDTA: Never Too Far Away For Any Student

CDTA: Never Too Far Away For Any Student

The California Desert Trial Academy (CDTA) is located at 45-290 Fargo Street, Indio, California, in the Inland Empire. Just ten years ago, any resident of the Coachella Valley interested in becoming an attorney-advocate would have to travel quite a distance to attend class and receive a legal education. In 2020, this has changed because of the presence of the CDTA. However, anyone who lives a significant distance from the closest law school can take advantage of CDTA’s distance learning program, as well as those who live closer in Indio and its surrounding areas. The CDTA brings legal education to your home,...

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CDTA: On The Cutting Edge With Distance Learning

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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Most Law Schools Just Educate, CDTA Educates, Trains, And Develops

Most Law Schools Just Educate, CDTA Educates, Trains, And Develops

Many schools do an exceptional job of teaching students the black letter law of core subjects such as torts, real property, and contracts. Unfortunately, this is all that these law schools endeavor to do. Thus, most of the students in traditional law schools graduate with only knowledge of the substantive law and little practical instruction beyond it. Many traditional law schools would say that teaching the substantive law is their only function. At the CDTA, we go beyond educating our students: we also train and develop our students to be exceptional attorney-advocates in any courtroom. The core curriculum of most traditional...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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