Students will learn federal criminal law, motions practice, trial skills, applied evidence, and sentencing. The courses are not your typical survey courses using only casebooks and lectures. Each course incorporates hands-on training, simulations, and advanced legal research and writing assignments.For example, each week, students must write and argue motions in simulated pretrial proceedings. Also, students conduct mock trials in front of active federal judges at the district courthouse in downtown San Diego.

Students also have the opportunity to attend the week-long Federal CJA Trial Skills Academy in San Diego, in which only current federal defenders may participate normally. Students attend advanced trial skills lectures and receive personalized instruction from some of the nation’s leading defense attorneys. Students write a law review-quality paper on a federal criminal law topic and have the opportunity to submit their article for publication in the Federal Criminal Defense Journal.

Students will learn federal criminal law, motions practice, trial skills, applied evidence, and sentencing. The courses are not your typical survey courses using only casebooks and lectures. Each course incorporates hands-on training, simulations, and advanced legal research and writing assignments.For example, each week, students must write and argue motions in simulated pretrial proceedings. Also, students conduct mock trials in front of active federal judges at the district courthouse in downtown San Diego.

Students also have the opportunity to attend the week-long Federal CJA Trial Skills Academy in San Diego, in which only current federal defenders may participate normally. Students attend advanced trial skills lectures and receive personalized instruction from some of the nation’s leading defense attorneys. Students write a law review-quality paper on a federal criminal law topic and have the opportunity to submit their article for publication in the Federal Criminal Defense Journal.

To be considered for admission, you must be a law school graduate who has either taken a bar exam or plans to take the bar exam prior to beginning the program. Bar admission is required in order to appear in federal court during the clinical component of the program.

Each application should include undergraduate and J.D. transcripts of all coursework, two letters of recommendation, and a personal statement.

The application deadline is July 31st of each year; however, admissions are rolling so applicants are encouraged to submit their materials by early spring.

More information here. 

Each application should include undergraduate and J.D. transcripts of all coursework, two letters of recommendation, and a personal statement.

The application deadline is July 31st of each year; however, admissions are rolling so applicants are encouraged to submit their materials by early spring.

More information here.