The Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP) is a cornerstone of Cardozo's practical skills curriculum. In this two week immersion course held each January, students learn cutting edge strategies for courtroom litigation under the instruction of leading civil and criminal jurists and lawyers from across the country.
In a "master class" approach to learning, students practice direct and cross examinations, interviewing and preparing witnesses, selecting juries, dealing with evidentiary issues, and preparing for and presenting bench and jury trials. The course ends with students conducting a full jury trial.
At every step, students are critiqued by judges and lawyers, including individual reviews of student performances on videotape. The course is taught in small groups in a supportive atmosphere in which even those students who doubt their ability to do trial work feel comfortable.
ITAP is run by Professors Bobbi C. Sternheim and Ellen Yaroshefsky.
