Home page for B720, Advanced Trial Practice (Fall 2014)
Prof. Alex Tanford
Last updated: 8/18/2014
Contact Prof. Tanford at tanford@indiana.edu
COURSE INFORMATION:
1. Class meets in Room 215 unless otherwise designated.
2. Click here for the Syllabus.
3. TEXTBOOK: Tanford, The Trial Process: Law Tactics & Ethics (4th ed. 2009).
WARNINGS:
1. The law school class schedule says we meet on Thursdays from 1:15 - 4:20. Things will not be
that predictable. We will often divide the class, with some people starting earlier. Stuff may also
be scheduled for other days and times.
2. The syllabus is subject to change
3. For your capstone project, you must do at least one trial competition. There will probably be 4
options -- the ABA Labor & Employment law competition in November, the BLSA Thurgood
Marshall Competition in February, the AAJ Student Trial Ad Competition in March, or the law
school's internal trial tournament in January.
PREREQUISITES:
Enrollment in this course is limited to 24 3-L students who have completed Evidence and Trial Advocacy.
RULES OF EVIDENCE.
You need a current copy of the federal rules of evidence. Here is a link.
4. CASE FILE:
We will start out using a case file based on Barbara Townsley shooting her husband Nick during
a domestic altercation. The case may be tried either as a criminal case (State of Indiana v.
Barbara Townsley) or a civil case (Nicholas Townsley v. Barbara Townsley). You get to pick.
a. Townsley Primary Case File
b. Page 19
c. Page 27
d. Pages 30-32
e. Page 40
f. Jury instructions (criminal)
g. Jury instructions (civil)
j. Barbara Supplemental Statement
5. PROFESSIONALISM.
In my courses, your behavior is at all times covered by the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Violations of the rules may result in your being held in contempt or brought up on disciplinary charges. In either case, you may be "fined" in the form of a point deduction from your final grade.
6. GRADE:
Your grade is based on everything you do in the course -- attendance, preparation, participation, attitude, trial performances, and knowledge of the rules of courtroom procedure and ethics.
7. COURTROOM MOVIES
You're 3-Ls. Kick back and watch a movie or two. For a list of the 100 best trial movies, click here .