608 Advocacy (Kelly & Kirk)

LAW608

Advocacy

(Kelly & Kirk)

Prerequisite courses: LAW453 Evidence required, LAW452 Civil Procedure recommended

Prerequisite for:

Instructor(s): Liam Kelly and Michael Kirk

Course credit:  3

Method of presentation: Lecture

METHOD OF EVALUATION: 

55% Oral Advocacy Exercises

30% Class participation

15% Written Advocacy 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course will focus on developing and practicing oral advocacy, and presentation skills in the civil litigation process. Students will participate in mock uncontested and contested chambers applications, mock questioning, and this will culminate in a mock civil trial. The course will touch on strategy, use of technology, ethics, civility, appellate advocacy and other important aspects of civil litigation advocacy. The goal of the course is to provide the foundational advocacy skills for a civil litigation practice.

SPECIAL COMMENTS:

We engage with members of the Court of King’s Bench in Edmonton (Applications Judges and Justice) to preside over the uncontested and contested chambers applications as well as preside at the year end trial. We also engage with members of the Alberta Court of Appeal regarding the lecture on Appellate advocacy. These aspects provide the students with an experience that they can expect as part of a civil litigation practice.

Description updated 2023-24. Please contact the instructor for any specific questions you may have related to this particular course section.

REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY):

An Advocacy Primer, 4th Edition (or 3rd Edition) Lee Stuesser

RECOMMENDED TEXTS

Robert B. White, KC – The Art of Discovery; The Art of Trial

Sopinka on the Trial of an Action, 3rd Edition

Fundamentals of Trial Techniques, Canadian Edition, Second Edition

Rumpole of the Bailey (books and/or TV shows)