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Trial Advocacy

02 August
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Doing Pro Bono Work As A New Attorney

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice, Pro Bono Work, Training, Trial Advocacy

As an attorney, doing pro bono work may be exceedingly rewarding. Helping those in dire need of legal services who otherwise might not have solved their problems or reversed their misfortunes without your assistance, may provide you with the most precious memories of your legal practice many years from now. In addition to helping those who are less fortunate, pro bono work allows attorneys, especially younger attorneys, an excellent opportunity to develop new skills. These skills include the hard skills – learning the substantive law - and the soft skills, those interpersonal skills that allow you to work effectively within the...

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31 March
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Five Aspects Of The CDTA That Make It A Special Experience

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Curriculum, Distance learning, Distance learning law school, Online Law School, Trial Advocacy
Five Aspects Of The CDTA That Make It A Special Experience

The California Desert Trial Academy is a special place. At least those of us who have experienced it feel this way. We’re confident that you will feel the same way once you have the opportunity to visit the CDTA and discover all that it has to offer. Here is a list of those aspects of academic life at the CDTA that make it special. *Most law schools educate, the CDTA educates, trains, and develops attorney-advocates While the vast majority of traditional law schools view teaching the substantive law as their only function, the CDTA goes beyond this and offers regular instruction in...

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21 March
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Areas of Practice That Require Understanding of Multiple Legal Subjects

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Continuing Legal Education, Hard Skills, Law Practice, Legal Research, Substantive Law, Trial Advocacy
Areas of Practice That Require Understanding of Multiple Legal Subjects

Attorneys practice law in many different contexts, including law firms, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Within each of these environments, attorneys may focus on one or several practice areas. Many, if not most, areas of legal practice involve the understanding of multiple legal subjects. Of course, an obvious example is that any attorney must understand the subject of civil procedure regardless of the area of law in which they practice. Some areas of practice, more than other areas, require an understanding of many different subjects. The practice of bankruptcy law is an excellent example. *Bankruptcy Bankruptcy lawyers represent individual and corporate creditors...

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09 February
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What Cases Use Expert Witnesses? Part Two

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice, Training, Trial Advocacy
What Cases Use Expert Witnesses? Part Two

The types of experts that may be retained are as varied as the subjects that lawyers may litigate. Expert witnesses. The primary purpose of an expert witness is to provide knowledge and insight into a technical area that may not be readily known or understood by the average fact finder. The more complex that a legal matter is, the more likely one or more expert witnesses will be required to testify. Expert testimony often addresses those facts which determine liability. As a result, expert witnesses may make or break a case. Lawyers must find an expert with more than an impressive resume...

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08 February
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What Cases Use Expert Witnesses? Part One

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice, Training, Trial Advocacy
What Cases Use Expert Witnesses? Part One

Normally, courts prohibit witnesses from testifying based on their own opinions or analysis. Federal Rule of Evidence 602. Courts relax these rules for expert witnesses testifying about matters within their field of expertise. Expert witness rules vary by jurisdiction. In federal courts, expert witness testimony is governed by Article VII of the Federal Rules of Evidence. Expert witnesses may testify about their conclusions in a case provided that their analysis is scientifically sound. In reaching a conclusion, an expert witness may proffer an opinion on the same types of evidence that those in their profession normally rely on in their field and work, even if such evidence is...

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25 January
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Advice On Trying Your First Case

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice, Training, Trial Advocacy
Advice On Trying Your First Case

Here are some tips and advice for any new lawyer about to enter the courtroom and try his or her first case. Do some advance work and scout the courtroom Legal scholars differ as to how an attorney should act while moving around the courtroom during a trial. Some believe that an attorney should always request permission to proceed while others believe that it is acceptable to move around until a judge directs otherwise. Many judges allow attorneys to freely walk around the courtroom provided they do so with purpose. A simple solution is to observe the judge in action when he...

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14 January
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Surviving Discovery Disputes

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice, Training, Trial Advocacy
Surviving Discovery Disputes

Regardless of the area of law, at some point, every lawyer must endure the challenges caused by a dispute with an opposing lawyer over some aspect of discovery. Unfortunately, for the expedient resolution of litigation, these discovery disputes occur far too often for  most lawyers even though most would do the same if they were in the same situation as opposing counsel. Discovery disputes inherently are like a tug-of-war, ever dynamic, as lawyers push and test each other’s boundaries and patience. It is also not uncommon for clients requesting that an attorney pursue a particular inquiry and avenue of discovery with...

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11 December
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About Jury Instructions

Posted by cdtalaw
in California law, CDTA, Substantive Law, Trial Advocacy
About Jury Instructions

One of the most important components of a trial is the case’s jury instructions. These instructions or directions help jurors pinpoint a case’s specific issues, as well as those laws that are applicable and determinative of the outcome. The importance of jury instructions to the outcome of a legal matter may not be emphasized or stressed enough. Jury instructions identify those issues that the jury will be required to decide so jurors may understand the legal principles applicable to the case. Jurors may not reach a proper verdict if they do not understand the jury instructions or the instructions fail to adequately...

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05 November
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Five Things To Avoid During A Hearing

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Hard Skills, High Pressure, Law Practice, Soft Skills, Training, Trial Advocacy
Five Things To Avoid During A Hearing

Whether it is the first time or the hundredth time, it is an exhilarating and nerve-wracking experience to walk into a court hearing. On one hand, an attorney’s attention is directed at asserting and protecting the rights of his or her client. On the other, he or she must act within the decorum required by the court and avoid any mistakes that may be detrimental to a case’s outcome. No lawyer is invulnerable to mistakes but some mistakes are more detrimental than others. The following lists five things that any attorney should avoid when handling a hearing, whether live and in-person...

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29 September
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Litigating In The Age Of Social Media

Posted by cdtalaw
in CDTA, Law Practice, Trial Advocacy
Litigating In The Age Of Social Media

Social media has “deprivatized” society and, as a result, people have varying opinions about the true usefulness of social media. While these opinions may correlate to certain age demographics, almost everyone to some extent finds some use for social media, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or Pinterest.  While social media may truly be significantly useful, it presents the potential to have deleterious effects on litigants. The availability of social media’s endless sea of information, much of it unchecked and unverified, presents various challenges for litigators. Litigating in 2020 requires attorneys to review and monitor any types of social media in...

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CONTACT INFORMATION

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