Beginning this Fall, the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences will be offering a new course that should be of interest to future lawyers—Trial Advocacy in the United States, SocBehav 391M. Taught by Student Legal Services attorney and Mock Trial coach Corey Carvalho (UMass ‘03, WNEC Law ‘07), the class will be highly interactive, giving students the opportunity to engage in mini-trials. The course description is as follows:
This course will provide students interested in improving their public speaking, critical thinking and logical reasoning skills with the opportunity to gain knowledge about the American legal system and trial court procedures through hands on experience. Students will examine and apply fundamental legal concepts and rules of evidence, culminating in a criminal trial simulation at the end of the semester. Please note that you do not have to be connected to the Mock Trial Team to be enrolled in this course.
Click here for the draft course syllabus (subject to change). The course is on SPIRE as SocBehav 391M, #38979. Look for it in the “Social and Behavioral Science” course subject.
UPDATE 4/26: Legal Studies majors may count this course toward their major requirements as a law-related elective.
UPDATE 4/27: The erroneous instructor-consent course restriction on SPIRE has been removed—you may now register for the course just as you do for any other course.