MASTER OF LAWS IN ADVOCACY Achieving Your Litigation Career Goals Advocacy. careers.
dean claudio grossman and professor david e. aaronson, director, welcome you to our unique advocacy ll.m. program The LL.M. in Advocacy is designed for recent law school graduates, lawyers looking to diversify their practice or make a career change, and more experienced litigators who seek to expand their competencies and hone litigation skills. Learn about the benefits of our unique Program demonstrated through the testimonials of our recent graduates who came to Washington, D.C. from throughout the U.S. and other countries. These graduate students developed or enhanced their litigation skills by selecting courses from a rich curriculum of 15 core courses and more than 35 litigation-related courses. Participants learned how to use advanced courtroom technology, took advantage of a variety of externship opportunities offered in the nation s capital, and realized their professional goals by obtaining a position requiring use of their acquired advocacy skills. The Advocacy LL.M. Program is administered by our nationally recognized Stephen S. Weinstein Trial Advocacy Program to address an increase in the demand for lawyers who have proven litigation skills. Dual LL.M. Degree Programs are offered in Advocacy and either Law and Government or International Legal Studies. Certificate Programs are available for those who wish to enhance their litigation skills without completing a full LL.M. degree. Highlights of the programs include individualized career counseling, a dedicated full-time faculty, and a network of over 45 adjunct faculty members comprised of distinguished judges and practitioners with extensive professional backgrounds in private practice, government litigation, and non-profit advocacy. We hope you will consider enrolling in our Advocacy LL.M. Program or sharing this brochure with someone who may benefit from a graduate litigation skills program offering unique educational opportunities and a path to realizing litigation career goals. Claudio Grossman Dean David E. Aaronson Program Director
grow and succeed with our ADVOCACY LL.M. The Advocacy LL.M. Program equips students with solid advocacy skills through rigorous academic offerings and a breadth of practical litigation training. The Program has responded to the increased importance of lawyers with practical skills by creating new courses to prepare students for litigation in the 21st century, including an emphasis on the use of modern technology in the courtroom. Participants graduate ready to excel in the courtroom or before administrative law judges, arbitration panels, or other tribunals. The Advocacy LL.M. Program has experienced tremendous growth and success. The Program currently boasts a 100 percent job placement rate for those graduates eligible to practice law in the United States. Past graduates speak highly of the LL.M. and attribute their employment success in large part to the skills they acquired in the Program. Participants Advocacy LL.M. students are diverse in age, race, and background. Recent JD graduates and well-established practitioners have taken part in the Program, and come from throughout the U.S. and abroad. With the ever-changing climate of global legal systems, more and more countries are turning to an adversarial system requiring lawyers to understand and practice the art of advocacy. The Advocacy LL.M. has successfully graduated international students interested in learning the skills necessary for international commercial arbitration, the International Criminal Court, and other international adversarial systems. The Program s English requirement ensures that domestic and international students alike are able to share the same experiences. Kamilah Oliphant, LL.M. 13 Pro Bono Attorney, Washington, D.C. I stood out from the pack with my Advocacy LL.M. I received instruction from professors who hold positions on the highest state court or in top law firms or government offices. The faculty lent their support both in and out of the classroom and were key to my professional development. 1
Personalized CURRICULUM To be awarded the LL.M. degree, a participant is required to complete at least 24 credits on a full or part-time basis. Many of our classes are offered at night to accommodate the busy schedule of a practitioner. Participants are able to tailor their course selection to their career objectives and may elect to receive credit through unique opportunities such as mentored externships, co-teaching, and writing projects. Each participant receives feedback and attention to help create a personalized curriculum. They may fulfill their 24 credit requirements through any of the core advocacy classes or over 35 litigationrelated courses offered at the law school. Core courses include: Criminal Trial Advocacy Civil Trial Advocacy Pretrial Civil Litigation Evidentiary Foundations and Objections Litigating in the High Tech Courtroom Litigation in the Digital Age: ediscovery Challenges and Obligations of a Prosecutor Criminal Prosecutions Public Defender Supervised Externship and Criminal Defense Seminar Ethics for Trial Lawyers Lawyer Bargaining The Jury in Civil Litigation Expert Witnesses and Scientific Evidence Fact Witness Depositions Expert Witness Depositions In addition, students may select from a wide array of litigation-related courses offered at the law school, including: Alternative Dispute Resolution Appellate Advocacy Advanced Civil Procedure: Complex Litigation Criminal Defense: Theory and Practice Human Rights Litigation Environmental Advocacy International Litigation and Arbitration Patent Prosecution and Patent Litigation Plea Bargaining For complete course listings, visit www.wcl.american.edu/trial/llm/courses.cfm Prosecutor Judge Department of Commerce Human Rights Department of Defense Professor JAG Legal Aid EPA Environmental Lawyer U.S. Attorney
JOB PLACEMENT Students work with LL.M. Program directors to help realize their career goals. Through individualized career counseling and a network of over 45 adjunct trial advocacy faculty, recent Advocacy LL.M. graduates have secured positions in a variety of offices, including: The Office of the Attorney General, Washington, D.C. The Jefferson County Commonwealth s Attorney, Louisville, KY The Public Defender s Office, Nashville, TN Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Washington, D.C. SMALL CLASSES AND INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION The Trial Advocacy Program is committed to a learning-by-doing format, which emphasizes skills training, case theory and themes, analysis of strategies, and professional ethics. Many of the courses meet in small sections of eight to 14 students team-taught by two professors, usually comprised of a judge and either a full-time faculty member or experienced litigator. STATE-OF-THE-ART COURTROOM TECHNOLOGY Advanced technology is integrated into each course to further the development of skills critical for success in litigation in the digital age. Features include interactive video screens, a stylus to permit digital alteration of exhibits during trial, multiple plasma screens connected to computers and ipads, an ELMO, remote controlled cameras, and digital recording equipment for reviewing performances. The courtroom is also equipped with a closed circuit jury room that allows students to observe jury deliberation in real time. EXTERNSHIPS IN THE D.C. AREA Among the many advantages of pursuing an LL.M. in Washington, D.C. is the opportunity to gain practical legal experience. Through externships, students receive academic credit for substantive legal work. Eligible externships include: Federal, state, or local government agencies Federal, state, or administrative courts/tribunals Non-profit organizations Law firms, if students are assigned to pro bono projects Each student has the option of finding and securing an externship with an office of their choice, often with the assistance of their LL.M. directors. Alternatively, the Program administers a unique seminar and externship at the Alexandria, VA Public Defender s Office focusing on indigent client representation and litigation skills. Connect with Employers The program opened the door to working as a prosecutor at the Office of the Attorney General. I worked for academic credit for six months, earned an interview, and was hired directly into the Public Safety Division. I don t think I would have been considered for this position without the Advocacy LL.M. I won my first solo trial within three months of being hired at OAG. Jonathan Hall, LL.M. 13 Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG) Juvenile Prosecution Section Take Advanced Courses I am the newest Jefferson County Commonwealth Attorney! I doubt I could have beaten out the other applicants without this LL.M. The discussion of skills I developed in The Evidentiary Foundations and Objections class at AUWCL was a focal point of my interview. Molly Cassady, LL.M. 13 Assistant District Attorney for the Jefferson County Commonwealth Attorney s Office in Kentucky Bar Counsel Patent Litigation FBI Department of Justice Inspector General Medical Malpractice International Commercial Arbitration Public Defender Mediation 3
Additional UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES Mock Trial Coaching: Advocacy LL.M. students may choose to co-coach a mock trial team for credit. AUWCL typically fields six teams each semester to compete in national mock trial competitions. Through this opportunity, LL.M. students work closely with JD students in order to prepare them to succeed in their competitions. Professional Writing: Advocacy LL.M. students may complete a research paper of publishable quality for credit related to advocacy or litigation. Students work with a faculty advisor to select a topic and edit the paper. Co-Teaching: Advocacy LL.M. students have the exceptional opportunity to co-teach a course for credits of independent study. LL.M. students perform tasks such as assisting in student critiques, reviewing video recordings of student simulations one-on-one with the JD student, and helping JD students make better use of courtroom technology. DUAL LL.M. DEGREE PROGRAMS Students may apply for dual LL.M. degrees in Advocacy and Law and Government or International Legal Studies. The benefit of the dual degree program is that students can receive the second LL.M. degree in 16 rather than 24 credits. CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS Certificate Programs in Civil or Criminal Trial Advocacy are available for practitioners interested in enhancing their litigation skills through enrollment in a variety of AUWCL courses without completing a full LL.M. degree. Instead of fulfilling 24 credit hours to receive an LL.M., attorneys can receive the certificate after fulfilling 12 credits of advocacy courses. These certificates can be added together or stacked to satisfy the 24 credit requirement for an Advocacy LL.M. Most of the courses are offered in the evenings to accommodate participants work schedules. Visit www.wcl.american.edu/trial/certificate_program.cfm for more information. LITIGATION SKILLS SUMMER INSTITUTE This two week intensive summer program is designed for both practitioners and qualified law students interested in mastering litigation skills. Courses are offered at night and on weekends and participants may take one, two, or all offerings. CLE credits are available upon request. The offerings include: Fact Witness Depositions Expert Witness Depositions Civil Trial Advocacy Digital Presentations Workshop Visit www.wcl.american.edu/trial/summer for more information. ADMISSIONS For information on entrance and application requirements, deadlines, scholarships, and financial aid, visit our website: www.wcl.american.edu/trial/llm Contact us at 202-274-4474 or advocacyllm@wcl.american.edu
EXPERIENCED FACULTY Courses are taught by full-time faculty along with more than 45 distinguished judges and practitioners from the Washington, D.C. area who have extensive professional backgrounds in private practice, government litigation, and nonprofit advocacy fields. Our full-time and adjunct faculty support student career aspirations and provide a great networking resource. David E. Aaronson, Professor of Law and Director daarons@wcl.american.edu David E. Aaronson, B.J. Tennery Professor of Law and director of the Trial Advocacy Program, has been the Program s director since 2004. He specializes in criminal and civil trial advocacy, criminal procedure, and evidence. Aaronson began his legal career representing indigent persons accused of crime in federal and local courts as a Prettyman Fellow in the Georgetown University Graduate Law Center s Legal Internship Program. He joined the AUWCL faculty in 1970 after practicing civil and criminal law. Aaronson has served as interim director of clinical programs, founding the prosecutor component of the Maryland Criminal Justice Clinic. He is a past chair of the Maryland State Bar Association s Section of Criminal Law and Practice and of the ABA s Criminal Justice Section s Rules of Criminal Procedure, Evidence, and Police Practices Committee. He has been twice honored as Outstanding Teacher and as the American University Scholar/Teacher of the Year. Elizabeth Boals, Associate Director eboals@wcl.american.edu Elizabeth Boals, associate director of the Trial Advocacy Program since 2005, specializes in criminal and civil trial advocacy, criminal law and procedure, and evidence. Boals is a recipient of the AUWCL Faculty Leadership Award and is a National Institute of Trial Advocacy author. Before AUWCL, Boals served as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Commerce, partner at a general practice law firm, and legal counsel to the International Union of Police Associations. She began her legal career as an assistant public defender in the Office of the Public Defender in Alexandria, VA. Elizabeth Lippy, Assistant Director elippy@wcl.american.edu Elizabeth Lippy, assistant director of the Trial Advocacy Program since 2010, specializes in criminal and civil trial advocacy, scientific evidence, expert witnesses, and evidence. Lippy comes from her own private firm, Fairlie & Lippy, P.C., where she focused her practice on criminal defense and civil litigation. Lippy is an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) and has presented countless CLE courses. She was identified as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, a Lawyer on the Fast Track by the Legal Intelligencer, and named a Top 40 Trial Lawyers under 40. Tahniat Saulat, Advocacy LL.M. and Summer Institute Coordinator tsaulat@wcl.american.edu Tahniat Saulat brings a wealth of experience with developing and administrating an LL.M. Program. She joined the AUWCL staff after working for three years as a recruiting and admissions manager for the LL.M. in Finance at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. Prior to her position in Germany, Tahniat worked as a legal assistant for a law firm in Missouri and as a paralegal for an insurance company in New York. Adjunct Faculty 28 Practitioners 11 Judges 2 Bar Counsel Government 9 Attorneys 13 Partners 6 Managing Partners 5 Super Lawyers 1 CEO 8 AV rated lawyers by Martindale Hubbell Professional 3 Mediators State Attorney 1 General As the attorney general of Maryland, I have worked closely with many litigators and have observed attorneys of different skill levels. students who have completed the Advocacy LL.M. stand out among other practitioners. The unique externships, hands-on training, and authentic experiences offered by the Advocacy LL.M. Program prepare these graduates for successful careers in litigation. The Hon. Douglas Gansler Attorney General of Maryland and AUWCL Adjunct Professor 5
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