The vast majority of court cases are settled before trial through administrative, arbitral and other alternative dispute resolution processes. Learning to negotiate to closure is an essential skill for litigators.

If you’re interested in a career as a civil litigator, enrolling in Civil Advocacy & Dispute Resolution—one of six concentrations offered by the School of Law—will provide you with the knowledge and skills you’ll need.

It will help you master the rules of evidence and procedure and familiarize you with pretrial, trial and alternative dispute resolution skills, such as putting cases together, examining witnesses, conducting oral arguments, negotiating settlements, and representing clients in mediation and arbitration.

The law school has special strengths in this area, including our Center on Dispute Resolution, the Quinnipiac/Yale Workshop on Dispute Resolution and our student-run Society for Dispute Resolution. The law school also offers a mediation certificate training program for students, lawyers and members of the community interested in developing mediation and consensus-building skills.

On the civil advocacy side, we offer introductory and advanced courses in trial practice. Our moot court and mock trial teams compete on regional and national levels, permitting students to hone their skills further as advocates in simulated courtroom proceedings.