The Advocate's Advantage
Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
Advocacy is both an art and a science. It can be taught, studied, practiced, and written about. To us, advocacy is a passion – something inside a litigator’s heart and their brain. To us, advocacy is our advantage. Through this blog, we aim to educate ourselves while also sharing resources and helping others through an online community. Here, at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, the Advocacy Program is always looking for ways to further our skills and understanding of the law.
And so, The Advocate’s Advantage was born…
‘Fake it Till you Make It’
Introduction During tough times, or when we are under a lot of stress, we all lean on mantras or aphorisms to keep ourselves going. One of my favorites is “fake it till you make it.” Statements such as those are meant to remind us of our values and bring us a sense of...
Law Students: Take Trial Advocacy, Serve as a Mock Trial Juror, and Don’t Bore or Confuse Your Juror
Take Trial Advocacy This past summer, I took Trial Advocacy with Professor Hatcliffe. Unlike most of my other classes, there wasn’t a final. Instead, the class culminated in a mock trial. During the mock trial, Professor Hatcliffe presided as the judge, while the...
9 Things I Learned from My First Mock Trial Competition
Introduction “Feel the rush, break the rules, the thrill kills.” The first line of my opening statement at my first mock trial competition. Well... I certainly felt the rush to say the least! As I stood up to deliver my opening statement, my legs were shaking and I...
Impeaching Law Enforcement Witnesses with Prior Bad Acts In New York State
As the great Evidence professor Jerome Prince once instructed: “truth, while never simple, is one of society's most essential virtues.” For a trial attorney, cross-examination is universally recognized as the preeminent truth-seeking device. During a...
Best Evidence
This month we will be discussing probably one of the most confusing and worst-named rules… best evidence! If you are flipping through your Federal Rule of Evidence (FRE) book with not a clue as to where “best evidence” appears, then I can promise you that you are not...
Studying Abroad at Oxford: The Building Blocks
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to travel to England and participate in the Study Abroad Program at the University of Oxford through Stetson Law. This program was a two-week intensive course focused specifically on trial advocacy. At the start of the course, we...
REPRESENTING A CLIENT YOU BELIEVE WILL BE FOUND GUILTY IN A CRIMINAL CASE
Situation. Numerous victims come forward with similar allegations. Your client committed criminal acts against them. Damage control time. You may be given a chance to make a public statement denying guilt, maybe not. Either way, advocacy starts when your client makes...
Relevance
Federal Rule of Evidence 401 Admissibility of evidence, and the weight of that evidence, are two different things. Evidence is either relevant, or it is irrelevant. Relevant evidence may be admissible. Irrelevant evidence is never admissible. Thus, every piece of...
The Art of Oral Advocacy
The Art of Oral Advocacy By David C. Frederick Date of Publication: 2003 261 Pages 3.7/5☆ What is this book about? In The Art of Oral Advocacy, author David C. Fredrick offers advice on how to prepare to argue in court. With his experience of arguing over 100 appeals,...
That One Really Damaging Piece of Evidence
Every case has its pros, and unfortunately, its cons. But one idea the best trial lawyers understand, and share, is that almost any negative can be turned to a positive. Take alcohol for instance. Alcohol often plays a damaging role in the outcome of a trial....
Reach Us
Communicate with us or follow us on our social media! For questions or if you would like to contribute, contact Professor Jared Hatcliffe or Julia Stueber.
Advocatesadvantage@law.pace.edu
78 N Broadway, White Plains, NY 10603
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