Trial Advocacy Skills Training

Description

TAST is an intensive six-day training designed to provide attorneys, with at least 2 - 3 years of experience, an opportunity to develop, refine, and practice trial skills to provide more effective representation to clients. TAST culminates in a mock trial using sitting or retired judges, and outside witnesses and jurors. As a prerequisite, all TAST attendees must have attended the Litigation Planning Training and must also submit a trial notebook.

The training includes lectures and demonstrations on trial skills. Participants will perform and be critiqued on several trial exercises. These exercises will focus on components of trial practice including opening statements and closing argument, direct and cross-examination, and the use of demonstrative evidence. Each participant will be videotaped during the exercises and critiqued on their performance by experienced trainers. Attendees must be available and participate in all sessions including the trial that is scheduled for Saturday, July 29, 2017

All attendees should have completed Basic Lawyering Skills (BLST) or its equivalent.

To be eligible and prepared for TAST, attendees must have completed the CORT Litigation Planning training and have at least 2 – 3 years of post-admission legal practice with a significant number of trials and/or hearings.

If an attendee has not participated in jury trials, he or she is strongly encouraged to observe some or all of a jury trial or trials in their local courts to prepare for TAST.

Each person who is accepted will be required to submit an appropriately detailed trial notebook to CORT no later than June 19^th2017, using the materials distributed through the Litigation Planning Training. These trial notebooks will be reviewed and scored by the training team. If a notebook is found not to be complete or adequately detailed, it will be returned to the applicant for revision and resubmission prior to the training. If the revised notebook is acceptable, the individual will be permitted to attend TAST.

No one will be allowed to attend TAST without submitting an acceptable trial notebook.

All TAST participants must submit a complete Trial Notebook for the party they represented at Litigation Planning. We strongly encourage all participants to begin work on their trial notebook immediately so that you have sufficient time to do a thorough job. All participants should strive to make their trial notebook as complete and detailed as possible. All trial notebooks will be reviewed and awards will be presented for the best trial notebook for each party.

At TAST, we will try to assign all participants to the same parties they had at Litigation Planning. If we are not able to do that for some participants because of the need to balance groups, we will give those participants a copy of the Best Notebook for their new party to use at TAST.

SUBMISSION OF AN ACCEPTABLY DETAILED TRIAL NOTEBOOK IS A NON-NEGOTIABLE, NON-WAIVEABLE REQUIREMENT. PERSONS WHO FAIL TO TIMELY SUBMIT AN ACCEPTABLE TRIAL NOTEBOOK WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN TAST. INADEQUATELY DETAILED TRIAL NOTEBOOKS WILL BE RETURNED FOR FURTHER WORK AND MUST BE RESUBMITTED AND REVIEWED BY THE TRAINING TEAM PRIOR TO THE TRAINING.

We have applied for Ohio and Indiana CLE credits for this training. CORT is a recognized training sponsor in West Virginia.

Please Note: Participants must bring their Mauet books to the training. If you do not have a copy, please find one in your office or program.

TRAINERS

• Greg Abler, Legal Aid and Defender
• Philip D. Althouse, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
• Melissa Benson, Legal Aid Society of Columbus
• Pam Bolton, Southeastern Ohio Legal Services
• Tracie Dominique Boyd, Lakeshore Legal Aid
• Lorray S.C. Brown, Michigan Poverty Law Program
• Crystal Francis, Indiana Legal Services
• Dennis Frick, Indiana Legal Services
• Angie Hoogeveen, Indiana Legal Services
• Alice B. Jennings, Edwards & Jennings PC
• Stephen Lazarus, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
• Veronica Martinez, Legal Aid of Western Ohio
• Emiko Meyers, Legal Services of South Central Michigan
• Michelle Slack, Legal Aid of West Virginia
• Lauren Weller, Southeastern Ohio Legal Services

LOCATION

The training will take place at Weber’s Inn- 3050 Jackson Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103

734-769-2500.

REGISTRATION FEES

As a CORT-sponsored event, there is no fee for programs participating in CORT.

For registrants from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and West Virginia legal services programs not participating in CORT, the registration fee is the pro-rata share of the net cost of the training plus a surcharge of $300. For these participants, the registration fee is $1100.

For other participants, the registration fee is the pro rata share of the cost of the training plus 20%. For these participants, the registration fee is $900.

ROOM AND BOARD

CORT will bill programs for the cost of rooms and meals after the training. The daily cost of sleeping rooms is $97/night (plus all taxes), single/double. If participants share rooms, CORT will divide the cost of the room by the number of occupants and bill programs accordingly. Lunch will be provided Tuesday thru Saturday; and dinner will be provided on Monday and Wednesday. Snacks will be provided throughout the training and included as hospitality. Dinners are the responsibility of the participants on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The cost of the meals provided is $149 per person for the week and this will be billed to the participants’ programs with the hotel rooms.

QUESTIONS?

Any questions on the substance of the training should be directed to Lorray Brown at 734-998-6100 x 113 or lorrayb@mplp.org Questions concerning logistics, reservations, and costs or like issues should be addressed to Kerri Ferrari at 734-998-6100 x 151 or kdr@mplp.org

REGISTRATION

To register use the registration link on this page.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE

Please return your registration and trial notebook no later than June 19th to:

CORT Trial Advocacy Skills Training
Attn: Kerri Ferrari
220 E. Huron St., Suite 600 A
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

You will receive a confirmation prior to the training. If you do not receive this letter by June 26th please contact Kerri Ferrari at MPLP

CANCELLATION DEADLINE

The deadline for cancellation is July 10th. Registrants cancelling after this date will be billed for any unavoidable costs incurred as a result of the late cancellation.