Advocacy Certificate
Setting the bar for courtroom-ready skills.
You will benefit from a wealth of expertise as distinguished academics and experienced attorneys teach courses in trial advocacy, appellate advocacy, and dispute resolution. And you'll sharpen your practical skills through externships and clinics. Earning an Advocacy Certificate means you have developed the litigation and dispute resolution skills that will set you apart.
Requirements
To earn the Certificate in Advocacy, you must complete 18 credits from a menu of designated advocacy courses and participate in an advocacy program extracurricular event. You must have an average cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, or an average grade of B or better in each course of your advocacy certificate curriculum, in order to receive the certificate.
Advocacy Certificate coursework and activities are designed to achieve key learning outcomes and competencies.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses 1 | ||
| LAW 210 | Evidence | 4 |
| Trial Practice I (choose at least one) | 3 | |
| Corboy Fellows I | ||
| Trial Practice I | ||
| Trial Practice I (Intensive) | ||
| Trial Practice I Applied | ||
| ChildLaw Trial Practice (Intensive) | ||
| Trial Practice II (choose at least one) | 3 | |
| Corboy Fellows I | ||
| Trial Practice II (Section 1) | ||
| Trial Practice II (Section 2 - Securities Litigation) | ||
| Trial Practice I Applied | ||
| Elective Courses (at least one from each of the following sections) | 8 | |
| Advanced Litigation (choose at least one) | ||
| Illinois Litigation Racism, Injustice & Poverty | ||
| The Law of Jury Selection | ||
| Advanced Litigation Skills | ||
| Intellectual Property Litigation | ||
| Advanced Evidence | ||
| Deposition Advocacy Workshop | ||
| Class Actions | ||
| Federal Courts | ||
| Terrorism Prosecution: Civil Rights & Executive Power in Theory & Practice | ||
| Health Care Litigation and Medical Malpractice | ||
| Advanced Trial Practice | ||
| Trial or Appellate Advocacy Writing (choose at least one) | ||
| Advanced Legal Research: Spec Topics (Only Litigation) | ||
| Advanced Legal Research | ||
| Advanced Writing for Legal Practice | ||
| Pre-Trial Litigation | ||
| Appellate Advocacy Honors Program | ||
| Dispute Resolution (choose at least one) | ||
| Advanced Mediation Advocacy Practicum | ||
| Mediation Advocacy | ||
| Negotiations Seminar | ||
| Mediation Seminar | ||
| Advanced Mediation and Courthouse Practicum | ||
| Alternative Dispute Resolution | ||
| Mediation Certification & Courthouse Practicum | ||
| Child and Family Law Mediation | ||
| Intntl Commercial Arbitration & the CISG | ||
| Co-Curricular Experience (choose at least one) | ||
| Education Law Practicum | ||
| Domestic Violence Practicum | ||
| Human Trafficking: Advancing Protections for Children Practicum | ||
| Criminal Law Practicum | ||
| Storytelling and Presentation Skills for Lawyers | ||
| Restorative Justice Workshop | ||
| Dispute Resolution Skills Teams | ||
| Immigration Practicum Advancing | ||
| Federal Tax Clinic I | ||
| Federal Tax Clinic II | ||
| London Comparative Advocacy Prgrm | ||
| Family Law Practicum | ||
| Special Education Dispute Resolution | ||
| Community Law Center Clinic Veterans Practicum | ||
| Community LawCtr Clinic I | ||
| Community Law Center Clinic II | ||
| Externship Intensive Field Placement (Center for Conflict Resolution Externship Only) | ||
| Legislation and Policy Clinic | ||
| Civitas ChildLaw Clinic | ||
| Mediation Workshop | ||
| Health Justice Project | ||
| Advanced Health Justice Project | ||
| Health Justice Policy | ||
| Business Law Center Clinical & Seminar | ||
| Business Law Clinic II | ||
| International Commercial Arbitration | ||
| Total Hours | 18 | |
- 1
Completion of three graded credit hours of Corboy Fellowship or Trial Practice I Applied may substitute for Trial Practice I or Trial Practice II. Completion of six graded credit hours of the Corboy Fellowship or Trial Practice I Applied may substitute for both Trial Practice I and Trial Practice II.
Suggested Sequence of Courses
Courses can be taken in any semester after your first year of law school. The three required courses must be taken in sequential order as LAW 210 Evidence is a prerequisite for LAW 411 Trial Practice I, and LAW 411 Trial Practice I is a prerequisite for LAW 412 Trial Practice II. The Extracurricular Event requirement can be completed anytime throughout your years of study.
Extracurricular Event
Additionally, you must attend at least one event sponsored by the Advocacy Center, including, but not limited to: conferences, lectures, colloquia, or advocacy competitions (volunteering).
APPLYING FOR YOUR CERTIFICATE
After completing all requirements, during your final semester you must complete an online application for the Certificate in Advocacy. You are required to submit your online application according to the following deadlines:
- Winter graduates: December 1 (Extracurricular Event Attendance can be submitted with your online application or as an amendment by December 15 to ggerardi@luc.edu)
- Spring graduates: March 1 (Extracurricular Event Attendance can be submitted with your online application or by as an amendment by May 1 to ggerardi@luc.edu)
You should submit your online application pursuant to these deadlines even if you are currently enrolled in certificate coursework and/or if you have yet to attend an approved Extracurricular Event. You are required to present a draft of your application to the Registrar during your graduation interview and this Sample Certificate in Advocacy may be helpful in that regard. The Advocacy Center Assistant Director will approve your online application and submit it to the Law School Registrar's Office upon completion of your last semester of schooling.
Please contact the Advocacy Center Assistant Director, Gina Gerardi, at ggerardi@luc.edu with any questions related to the Certificate in Advocacy.
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Each student graduating with the Certificate in Advocacy will be able to:
- Learning Outcome (Core): Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the substantive and procedural law of evidence.
- Learning Outcome (Core): Conduct a case before a court of law in a bench trial and jury trial setting.
- Learning Outcome (Advanced Litigation): Identify, formulate and analyze advanced litigation principles as applied in a substantive area of law, including evidentiary issues, complex litigation strategies, theories and concepts, and issues of professional and ethical responsibility.
- Learning Outcome (Trial or Appellate Advocacy with Writing Focus): Draft, present and defend a persuasive written document in the context of litigation at the pretrial, trial or appellate court setting.
- Learning Outcome (Alternative Dispute Resolution): Recognize and advocate for client goals in any dispute resolution setting by analyzing party interests and crafting creative solutions in a mediation or settlement negotiation, or employ oral and written advocacy skills in an arbitration setting.
- Learning Outcome (Co-Curricular): Demonstrate advocacy skills in a live-client or simulated practice setting.