The program will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 7, 2012.  Attendees may register at the Law School from 4:00–7:00 p.m. on Friday, or from 7:30–8:30 a.m. on Saturday.  Attendees staying at Sponsors Hall may check in from 3:00 p.m. Friday or anytime on Saturday.  The initial reception will be held at Sponsors Hall at the Darden Business School at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

First, all participants will attend daily live lectures and demonstrations by some of the finest speakers and lawyers in the country. In addition, from the beginning of the program, each participant will be assigned to a small group of like-experienced lawyers. Within the groups — each led by at least one experienced trial lawyer or judge from our faculty — each participant will study and perform every aspect of trial advocacy, i.e., opening statements, direct examination, cross-examination, examination of experts, introduction of exhibits, and closing argument.

Next, each group will learn and practice advocacy skills under the guidance of a different faculty member. Participants will take part in individual exercises, with accompanying group discussions and critique, designed to focus on particular advocacy skills. These exercises will be video recorded. Each participant will receive a copy of the video of his or her exercises.

Finally, the skill building and practice will culminate in participants conducting, as lead counsel, a live mock jury trial presided over by an experienced federal or state judge. At the conclusion of the mock trial, the judge will discuss and critique the trial with the participants.

Each day of the program will begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 6:00 p.m. Attendees will have the evenings to prepare for their presentations the following day.  Training will end on Wednesday and a conference on the final trials will be held that morning.  Each attendee will then have a mock jury trial Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning and serve as a witness for other trials on his or her non-trial day.