Thomas H. Pope III – Trial Advocacy and Mock Trial

Course Outline: Trial Advocacy and Mock Trial

Course Objectives: Over the course of five class days (one week), Tom Pope will lecture class each day on techniques for presentations in court proceedings, including:

§ developing a Trial Plan/Strategy

§ Examination witnesses

§ Cross-Examination of opposing party witnesses

§ Closing Arguments

The first class day will include introduction to the class by Tom Pope and engaging students on their interests, plus student questionnaire to be completed. During the opening lecture, Pope will explain to the class his experiences with presenting a case in court and trying it before a judge or a jury. After the lectures each day, Pope will then have each student participate in some aspect of trial advocacy for a few minutes each. The primary focus will be developing the theme of the case for a lawyer; trial skills in examining witnesses; trial skills in cross-examining opposing witnesses; and, closing arguments to the court or jury. These steps will be spread throughout the five days of class. If time allows, we will also have a complete mini-mock trial during the last day of class with each student assigned a portion of the trial (half the class would represent the State and half the class would represent the Defendant). Each class would consist of approximately 15% lecture; 75% student participation; and, 10% critique during each class of the students’ work.

By the end of the course, the objective would be for each student:

§ to develop confidence and competence in a courtroom setting;

§ to master basic trial skills; and,

§ to understand the flow of a case from beginning to end.

Course Schedule (provisory):

·         March 9, 14,00-16,00, (Room B301)

·         March 10, 14,00-16,00, (Room B301)

·         March 11, 14,00-16,00, (Room B301)

·         March 12, 14,00-16,00, (Room B301)

Final examination:

· March 13, 13,00-15,00 (Room B301)

 

BIO:

Education: University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D., 1974)

Summer Mediation Course at Harvard University (1998)

Work Experience: 50 years as a trial lawyer has represented defendants in criminal cases, as well as plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases (over 200 trials).

Additional: Served in the Senate of South Carolina (1985-1992); Member of the South Carolina Supreme Court Board of Law Examiners; Member of American College of Trial Lawyers (1995-Present); Visiting Professor at various universities teaching trial advocacy, including:

2008: Eotvos Lorand University Law School, Budapest, Hungary

2011: University of Tirana Law School, Tirana, Albania

2013: Iliria University, Pristina, Kosovo

2015: Finance University, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine

2017: European University, Tbilisi, Georgia

2019: Mandalay University Law School, Mandalay, Myanmar (Mock Trial & Moot Court)

2023: Warsaw Trial Advocacy Program for Lawyers, Warsaw, Poland (Mock Trial)