Purpose

To assist any lawyer interested in developing or polishing heightened advocacy skills through an intensive five days of personal training.

Why This Program Matters

The ability to effectively present an opening statement, competently conduct a direct examination, deliberately cross-examine an adverse witness, make a compelling closing argument, and, of course, handle a jury trial with confidence are learned skills that remain the keys to success for any litigator. No amount of second-chairing trials, attending one-day programs, or conferring with a senior lawyer can replace the real thing—doing it. That is what this program has been about for over 40 years.

Why This Program Makes Economic Sense

Whether you are a lawyer in a big firm struggling to obtain trial experience, or practicing in a small shop facing a myriad of litigation challenges, this program makes economic sense. First, it is less expensive than comparable programs, because Virginia CLE’s mission is to keep the program affordable. Second, it is time-efficient—for five days you are immersed in substantive material and critical practice that would normally take years to experience, all while earning 34.5 hours of live-interactive credit, including access to a pre-recorded, on-demand session carrying 2.0 hours of Ethics credit. Add in five days of networking with other lawyers from all around the country, and you might even create some future business to add to your new skills.

Support Materials

During the course, program participants will work with several different case files, ranging from relatively simple to quite sophisticated, so that the participants can develop and practice their advocacy skills in different contexts. The files afford lawyers of all levels of experience—whether they handle civil, criminal, or commercial matters—opportunities to attack problems that will challenge them.

Each registrant will also receive a copy of the new Trying Cases to Win: In One Volume—a $120 value—by Stephen A. Saltzburg and Herbert J. Stern.

Each attendee have the opportunity to video record his or her individual performances and critiques, including his or her performance as lead counsel in the mock trial. Tripods will be provided.