Education Unlimited’s American Legal ExperienceTM programs are offered on the campuses of UC Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA, Georgetown, and Yale. The adversarial nature of the American legal system places a premium on effective communication and persuasion through well-reasoned arguments. Therefore, our focus on this system provides students with an exciting and challenging medium for the development of speaking skills.

American Legal ExperienceTM participants will work with experienced legal experts to learn the structure of the court systems, differences between the process of law involved in civil and criminal trials, and most importantly proper methods of the formation and presentation of convincing legal arguments. As part of this learning process, students will be directly exposed to the basics of certain substantive areas of law, including constitutional, criminal and tort law, as well as rules of evidence.

Past activities have included a visit to a courthouse for a first-hand look at the American justice system at work, participation in simulated client interviews, and professionally critiqued oral arguments. The weeklong session includes at least two mock trials, including opening statements, the examination of witnesses and introduction of evidence and closing arguments. Guest speakers such as area attorneys or judges have been regular features of recent ALE sessions.