Curriculum

• Elective Courses Spread Over the Three Disciplines

  Technology for Lawyers

  Lawyers need to know how to use the fundamental technology that comprises Microsoft Office and Adobe. Craig Brody, a professional technology trainer, will lead these classes. Brody has taught technology to law students at the University of Pennsylvania Law School for many years. He has been teaching in the Program on Professional Development since its inception.

  Not sure you need these courses? We have a short survey instrument for you to fill out and assess which technology courses would be of benefit to you.

  1. Microsoft Excel Fundamentals
     Having Excel skills can be an important advantage for today's legal professional. Excel can analyze case data, track costs, calculate interest on court judgments, manage client information and create impressive charts and reports. This practical course introduces you to fundamental Excel commands using legal examples.
  2. Microsoft Word for Litigators
     Leverage the power of Microsoft Word to format litigation documents effectively in this hands-on workshop. Learn to set up Table of Contents and Table of Authorities in a sample brief. Work with Styles, Section Breaks and Header/Footers in order to create beautiful briefs.
  3. Microsoft Word for the Transactional Attorney
     Word is an essential application in many law practices, yet too much time is often spent formatting contracts and other legal documents. In this hands-on workshop, learn efficient methods to format documents with Multilevel lists, Styles, Cross Referencing, Footnotes and other commands. You will learn how to review documents with comments, track changes and compare.
  4. Microsoft PowerPoint for the Legal Professional
     Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful presentation tool for legal professionals. You can use it to support your arguments, organize your topics, convey your points and keep your audience engaged. In this hands-on workshop, use PowerPoint to create slides and learn tips to build an effective presentation.
  5. Adobe for Lawyers
     Adobe creates PDFs (Portable Document Formats) that lawyers use to send final documents. It is a very powerful software tool that can be used to create, modify and edit documents.

  ---

  Building A Personal Brand

  The concept of a personal brand is how you present yourself professionally to your colleagues, clients, opposing counsel and the rest of the world. It is part of your professional identity and is an important factor in how others see you and treat you in the profession. Do you want to be seen as the "adult in the room," the "bulldog" who relentlessly pursues a client's goals, the peacemaker, the deal maker?

  1. Oral Presentations Outside of the Courtroom
     This class on oral presentations will emphasize presentations outside of the courtroom setting. Many lawyers never set foot in a courtroom, but they still need to know how to make effective oral presentations to boards of directors or trustees, community groups, the press, client groups, and others. The class will focus on the physical aspects of a presentation.  This course will be taught by Lee Broekman who specializes in teaching the skills of oral presentation to students, lawyers, and other professionals. She coaches AmLaw 100 firm leaders and senior managers of Fortune 1000 companies. Lee has been teaching in the Program on Professional Development since its inception.
  2. Professional Emails
     Lawyers must learn to draft professional emails; it is one of the most important skills for a young lawyer. Professor Julie Cramer will instruct you on how to craft professional emails and how to avoid unfortunate errors.
  3. Interview Practice 
     This course will teach best practices for interviewing and then provide opportunities to practice those interviewing skills. 

  ---

  Well-Being

  Practicing law is stressful, and it is particularly stressful during the early years of practice. Learn how to manage the stress so you can focus your energies on being successful for your clients and for yourself and build a sustainable career.

  Secrets for Success: Unpacking Perfectionism and Cultivating a Superpower Mindset

  Many lawyers and law students would be shocked to learn that the perfectionism they wear as a badge of honor actually PREVENTS them from reaching their highest potential. But there’s a key difference between perfectionism and the pursuit of excellence, and it turns out that the former can indeed be the enemy of the latter.

  Secrets for Success: Unpacking Perfectionism and Cultivating a Superpower Mindset will be taught by Jordana Confino, Founder JC Coaching and Consulting, certified professional coach, speaker, and adjunct professor at Fordham Law School.

  A detailed schedule of classes is available here. For more information, please email careers@law.ucla.edu.