Areas of Concentration
General Civil Litigation
Primary Contacts: Professor Gerald Powell
All trial lawyers must be masters of
procedure, the complex body of rules that so often determine the outcome of
disputes. The General Civil Litigation area of concentration provides
students interested in litigation, whether as general civil practitioners or
as lawyers specializing in a particular type of litigation, with a solid
foundation in the procedural law necessary for any type of litigation
practice. In addition to litigation-oriented courses required of all
students—Civil Procedure, Evidence and Practice Court—students concentrating
in General Civil Litigation complete a variety of advanced procedural
courses, including a study of increasingly-popular alternative dispute
resolution procedures such as mediation and arbitration. Given that most
civil trial lawyers specialize in a particular type of litigation, students
choosing General Civil Litigation have the flexibility to shape their
concentrated study to reflect their particular interest.
Students interested more specifically in business litigation, such as
actions involving corporate officer and director liability, employment
discrimination, securities litigation, or antitrust litigation, can complete
the Business Litigation area of concentration. Students interested in
fiduciary and probate litigation are encouraged to complete both the General
Civil Litigation and Estate Planning concentrations.
In addition to taking Civil Procedure, Evidence, and Practice Court (courses
completed by all students), those choosing to concentrate in General Civil
Litigation must complete the following courses:
Advanced Evidence
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Conflict of Laws
Federal Courts
Remedies
General Civil Litigation students also complete three hours from among the
following courses:
Administration of Estates
Advanced Trial Advocacy Skills
Arbitration
Federal Administrative Law
Health Care Litigation
Management of Complex Litigation
Personal Injury Trial Law
Products Liability
Texas Administrative Law