Mendelsohn Returns As National Institute Of Trial Advocacy Instructor

NITA’s motto is learning by doing. Experienced and well trained trial attorneys, from across the nation — literally from Alaska to the East Coast and states in between, devote their time and skill to teach young lawyers the art of trial law. Training includes how to try a case, including jury trials, direct and cross examination of fact witnesses, presentation of expert testimony, opening statements and closing arguments, including niche areas such as voir-dire (jury selection), pre-trial conferences (to persuade the inclusion or exclusion of evidence), and further to understand how their advocacy impacted the trier-of-fact (either a judge or a mock-jury).

Each student undergoes a rigorous schedule of working through each element of a case (from voir-dire, to opening statement, to jury instructions, to closing arguments, etc.) in front of the watchful eye of experienced trial lawyers who not only teach them how to do it, but critique their students in the classroom and on video (personal sessions). The students are exposed to the best of the best in terms of trial lawyers, and the NITA Midwest Intensive Trial Program is as rigorous and enriching as training can be.

For more than ten years, the Firm’s Fred Mendelsohn has served as a volunteer adjunct faculty member of NITA, teaching younger, less experienced attorneys the art and skill of trying cases. NITA training for 2016 in Chicago was recently completed. NITA is the leading provider of legal advocacy skills training. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization based in Boulder, Colorado, NITA pioneered learning-by-doing methodology for legal skills more than 40 years ago.

Fred Mendelsohn can be reached at 312/840-7004 or fmendelsohn@burkelaw.com.