11.07.2005

Evidence and Trial Practice

I'm taking a REALLY FANTASTIC class called evidence and trial practice- the class is designed to teach us how to run a trial from start to finish without embarrassing ourselves or experimenting on real clients in the real world.

Part of the course is a mock trial, which we're doing on November 19. I know which witnesses I need to direct and cross, how my story fits together, all that jazz. It should be a lot of fun.

Our opposing counsel is driving us nuts. They're trying to exclude some evidence that is key to BOTH sides. So that's adding a lot of extra work- they're drafting a motion to exclude the evidence, so we'll need to write a response, along with a brief in support of our response complete with case law and stuff. As if I have a ton of free time to do this in...

Part of what's intimidating about the trial is real judges will be participating. Our judge is one of the Justices on the New Mexico Supreme Court. Uh, YIKES! This will be fascinating, but intimidating. I don't care about winning, I just don't want to look like an IDIOT.

Anyway, I'm consumed with trial prep right now. And with my law review note, 25 pages of which are due 3 days before the trial. Happy happy joy joy! AND an application for a spring semester internship with one of our federal judges due three days before the law review note. Yeah, no time pressure here!

2 comments:

Scoutj said...

Sound really cool! And, totally random bit of info, if you are ever looking for any sort of advice/help I'm good friends with the President of the Women's Bar Assoc. of New Mexico. She recently got another friend a job. Let me know!

Anonymous said...

That sounds nutty -- I haven't taken any clinical classes yet. A NMSC justice would be very intimidating! I was freaked out in moot court when the "judges" were just attorneys.