Intensive Trial Advocacy Program
Thirty-six Washburn Law students participated in the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP), a new two-hour course that trains law students to be trial lawyers. The program was held May 16-23, 2004. Each day students practiced trial skills as part of small group workshops, watched live trial skill demonstrations, and attended faculty lectures. Students ended the week by participating in a civil or criminal simulated case they prepared during the week.
A group of twenty-five faculty participated in ITAP. Faculty met at the beginning of each day to review the schedule and discuss the teaching workshop goals. Each morning, groups of 8 students and 2 faculty met to focus on student performance of trial skills. Students then practiced trial skills in workshop groups or attended lectures about trial skills in preparation for practice the next day. An important component of students' skills development was the videotaping and review/critique of their performance in one-on-one sessions with a faculty member.
Mornings ended with trial skill demonstrations, including openings, direct and cross examination of lay witnesses and expert witnesses, jury voir dire, and closing argument in a criminal case and in a civil case with damages.
Lunch for students featured a guest lecture or instructional video presentations. Visitors included:
- Judge Jean Schmidt shared her perspective on trial advocacy "from the bench."
- Rose Rozmiarek, Division Chief, Fire Investigation Division, State Fire Marshall's office, lectured about fire and arson investigation (simulated cases involved arson issues).
Video presentations included communication skills and story telling techniques useful to trial lawyers. The faculty met separately for lunch and discussed the afternoon program.
Students continued their workshop practice in the afternoon. Afternoons also included special presentations:
- Bill Elward of the Illinois Attorney General's Office lectured on evidence and on cross examination techniques. A highly regarded lawyer and trial advocacy and evidence teacher, Mr. Elward als met with faculty and critiqued student workshop performances.
- Jury consultant Tom Bisecker discussed jury selection.
- Shawnee County Coroner Erik Mitchell discussed working with and preparing the expert witness.
The week culminated Sunday, May 23, as students, faculty, jurors, witnesses, and judges gathered at the Shawnee County Courthouse to participate in simulated trials. Trials were held before state or federal district court judges. Students utilized the skills developed during the week and presented evidence, examined and cross-examined witnesses (including seven expert-witness arson investigators), and gave opening and closing statements. Faculty members scored each student performance during the trials.
Student reaction to ITAP was overwhelmingly positive:
- "The entire program was geared toward the students' learning. The opportunity to learn from seasoned trial lawyers and our classmates is an invaluable experience."
- "This program immersed students interested in trial work. Demonstrations provided an opportunity to see the best attorneys in the area perform a specific part of the trial."
- "This program was very effective. Though ITAP was alot of hard work, it was a very rewarding experience. We are fortunate to be surrounded by the most competent lawyers and judges in the state who are willing to help students develop their trial advocacy skills."
Washburn Law and the Center for Excellence in Advocacy expresses its gratitude to the diverse group of faculty who took time from their practice and other activities to help develop tomorrow's trial advocates: Randy Baird, Lee Barnett, Terry Beck, Byron Cerrillo, Jim Clark, David Cooper, Professor John Francis, Mike Francis, Scott Hesse, Judge Steven Hill, Tad Layton, Greg Lee, Jared Maag, Tony Mattivi, Maggie McIntire, Bill Ossmann, Steve Pigg, Ron Pope, Bob Pottroff, Todd Powell, Jeremy Shull, Dustin Slinkard, Bryan Smith, Marilyn Trubey, Visiting Professor Curtis Waugh, Cal Williams, and Karen Wittman. Student staff assisting with ITAP included Todd Hiatt, Danielle Saunders, and Brandi Studer.
Special thanks go to Bill Ossmann, our program co-director. Bill is a long-time adjunct Trial Advocacy faculty member and was an active member of the faculty committee that revised and improved the Washburn Law trial advocacy program in the late 1990's. Bill spent many hours planning and organizing ITAP, and recruited faculty, judges, and all the expert witnesses. He also taught a workshop group every day and played an expert witness in the concluding jury trials.
