Attorney Thomas J. Simeone, a managing partner at Simeone & Miller LLP, recently spoke to U.S. News and World Report on how prospective law students can find a law school that will develop their trial advocacy skills. Simeone compared being a trial lawyer with skiing, explaining that the only way to learn either one is by actually trying to do them, not by watching. Accordingly, Simeone suggested that opportunities to develop trial skills are more important than class room lectures.
For those who believe they want to become trial lawyers, Simeone has a suggestion. When choosing a law school, look for one that has experienced trial lawyers teaching those courses. “If the best and brightest professors are in other departments, then resources aren’t being put there,” said Simeone. He recommends avoiding schools with young or newly hired professors teaching trial advocacy courses. Simeone also suggests considering schools that offer several moot court and mock trial
programs so that you have opportunities to actually practice your trial skills.
Simeone serves as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University Law School, where he teaches trial advocacy. With 25 years of experience, Simeone himself is an experienced trial lawyer who can offer students a realistic appraisal of their trial skills and concrete advice on how to improve them.
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