Concord Law School Offers Online Trail Advocacy Course with William Mitchell College of Law

William Mitchell's Trail Advocacy Program Ranked Among the Nation's Best by US News & World Report

Los Angeles, CA/St. Paul, MN, August 21, 2001 -- Concord University School of Law, the nation's only entirely online law school, and a division of Kaplan, Inc., announces a new Trial Advocacy Program in conjunction with William Mitchell College of Law. John O. Sonsteng, Professor of Law at William Mitchell College of Law, and an expert in teaching trial skills, is overseeing content development for the unique collaboration, with Concord Dean Jack R. Goetz providing the distance learning expertise that is the foundation of Concord Law School. An online trial advocacy course, which will be available to both William Mitchell College of Law and Concord Law students, teaches the fundamentals of the courtroom and oral advocacy and provides the opportunity for students to develop their skills through practice. Students may then elect to attend an eight-day intensive advocacy program at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.

U.S. News &World Report, in its April 9, 2001 issue, ranked William Mitchell College of Law's trial advocacy among the nation's best in its 2001 specialty rankings for law schools.

"Trial advocacy programs offer law students the chance to put their academic and theoretical training to use in a simulated courtroom setting, and we are delighted to offer our students online and on-the-ground courses on trial techniques," said Dean Goetz. "We have teamed with William Mitchell's highly ranked trial advocacy program so that our 700 students who are located worldwide will have the opportunity to gain confidence in trial skills via the Internet or, if their schedules permit, in the course held at William Mitchell's campus."

The new online course, Advocacy - Theories, Tactics & Techniques, is a 2-credit elective in Concord's Juris Doctor program, and a prerequisite to the intensive Advanced Advocacy program. Professor Sonsteng's course follows the format of Concord Law School's nationally recognized online pedagogy, and includes interactive modules and short lectures blended with numerous demonstrations via photographs, voice and transcripts. The curriculum focuses on trial tactics and techniques including opening statements; direct and cross examinations; introduction of evidence; and closing arguments. In addition, students will perform approximately 150 minutes of trial technique demonstrations and submit videotapes of their performances for critique and assessment. The students will also develop case plans and written statements of their approach to each exercise.

"Concord presented a great opportunity for us to bring the same techniques that we have utilized successfully for years in training trial lawyers to another medium with greater accessibility," said Professor Sonsteng. "Using videotaped performances is a great way to practice and critique trial performances. By integrating with Concord's learning platform we can teach these effective techniques to future lawyers worldwide without limiting it to those in the vicinity of the fixed facility campus."

Sonsteng is an accomplished legal scholar, an experienced advocacy teacher, and a regional director for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. He has lectured throughout the United States and England, and is the co-author with William Mitchell Professor Roger Haydock of Trial, The Advocacy Series and The Trialbook, and with Rob Scott of Juvenile Law & Practice. At William Mitchell College of Law, he teaches Advanced Trial Advocacy, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and the Legal Practicum.

The second course, Advanced Advocacy, is offered at the William Mitchell College of Law Summer Skills Program in St. Paul, Minnesota. This eight-day in-person course teaches trial techniques and uses live and videotaped performances that are critiqued by experienced trial lawyers. Topics include case analysis, opening statements, direct and cross examinations, examination of lay and expert witnesses, impeachment, rehabilitation, and refreshing recollection, introduction of evidence and demonstrative exhibits, closing arguments, jury selection, ethics and professional responsibility. Students from Concord's JD Program or from William Mitchell or other ABA accredited law schools will earn 3 units toward their JD degree for completing this elective.

About Concord Law School
Licensed in the state of California, Concord has received accreditation under a pilot program from the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council. Completion of the JD program permits graduates to apply for admission to the California Bar, and upon passing the California Bar Examination, graduates are qualified to practice in California courts, and may also apply to practice in many of the Federal courts. Concord recently launched Concord Law Center, providing an online Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Health Law program to law graduates and attorneys. In January 2002, the Law Center plans to begin offering courses leading to a Master of Laws in Taxation. For more information, please visit www.concordlawschool.com. Concord is part of The Kaplan Colleges group of institutions (www.kaplancollege.edu) which includes Kaplan College and The College for Professional Studies. Each of the institutions within The Kaplan Colleges is separately accredited and authorized and offers a variety of career-oriented programs in both online and traditional classroom formats. Kaplan, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

For information about William Mitchell College of Law, please visit www.wmitchell.edu.

Press Contact: Liz Lindley liz_lindley@kaplan.com
(212) 492-5890