Cross-examination plays a crucial role in promoting just outcomes in American courtrooms. It is a tool that allows lawyers to further truth-seeking in litigation by challenging the credibility of witnesses. To be effective courtroom advocates, lawyers must be proficient in the art of cross-examination. Understanding the objectives and techniques of cross-examination also benefits lawyers outside the courtroom, preparing them to ask thoughtful questions in their roles as counselors and advisors.

This experiential course will teach students the fundamentals of cross-examination and introduce them to the purpose and context of cross-examination in trials. Using hypothetical cases, students will learn how to plan and deliver an effective cross-examination; they will practice formulating a line of cross-examination questions, focusing on word choice, organization, transitions, and cadence. The course will also teach students how to develop accrediting and impeaching cross-examination, how to use exhibits on cross-examination, and how to weave highlights of cross-examination into case theories presented in the closing arguments of a trial. Simulations and interactive exercises will provide students with opportunities to cross-examine lay and expert witnesses, using cross-examination as a tool to explore credibility, memory, accuracy, and perception. The course will also focus on the ethical and professional obligations of lawyers, examining legal and ethical limits on the scope of cross-examination and the importance of integrity in legal advocacy.

Approved for the Experiential Learning Requirement. Enrollment is limited. Registration is binding. 

Prerequisite: Evidence

Recommended for the following Professional Pathways: General Practice-Litigation; Criminal Defense; Criminal Prosecution; Civil Rights/Civil Litigation; Family Law; Government/Public Sector; International Law/Human Rights; and Labor and Employment Law.

1 Credit