About the Minor in Trial Skills

Drexel Kline’s undergraduate minor in Trial Skills provides undergraduate students with an unusually rich opportunity to develop their skills in oral advocacy. The minor allows you to explore and develop litigation-relevant skills while ensuring you have a solid foundation in knowledge about U.S. law and legal systems. Courses in the minor prepare students to communicate effectively, assess and employ evidence thoughtfully, and work collaboratively in teams.

Students learn to present opening and closing arguments, and to cross-examine witnesses with guidance from attorneys who practice every day in Philadelphia’s civil and criminal courts. While many students in the minor compete on Drexel’s Undergraduate Mock Trial team, others are preparing for law school or simply want to become effective public speakers ready to think on their feet.

As with all of Kline’s undergraduate Law courses, students in Trial Skills courses integrate academic learning with hands-on practice. Our Trial Skills Practicum courses provide an opportunity for students on the Mock Trial team to earn academic credit for the work they do preparing for competitions.

Curriculum

The Minor in Trial Skills offers Kline’s signature focus on experiential learning. Students in the minor take four required courses to give them a firm foundation in legal knowledge and skills:

• LAW 110: American Legal Systems
• LAW 230: Introduction to Trial Skills
• LAW 330: Rules of Evidence
• LAW 360: Advanced Trial Skills

The minor is completed by taking 8 credits of electives (typically 2 courses) that help students gain greater insight about law and litigation:

• LAW 201: The Common Law
• LAW 210: Public Law: Legislation and Regulation
• LAW 301: Legal Reasoning
• LAW 360: Advanced Trial Skills (may be repeated for credit)
• LAW 370 or 375: Trial Skills Practicum

For more on program requirements and course descriptions, see the Drexel University Catalog.

Contact Info

For more information, contact UGLaw@drexel.edu.