The John Marshall Law School has more than 100 years of experience in producing highly skilled trial lawyers and advocates. The school was founded on this principle and continues this proud tradition into its second century. The school's widespread reputation for graduating capable, courtroom-ready trial attorneys is one earned through years of challenging curricula, intensive performance requirements, and cogent critiques which have resulted in a consistent yield of successful and talented alumni and a nationally recognized trial advocacy program.
The John Marshall Law School Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution is the nexus for the law school's various skills-related programs and courses. Adhering to the center's theme of "learning from practice," students become advocates through the myriad clinical program placements available, the concentrated classroom curriculum, and the selection and preparation for trial advocacy, client-counselors, negotiation and mediation competitions. The center, long recognizing that a lawyer must be an able advocate at every level of practice, has coordinated the school's instruction for each phase of advocacy, providing a comprehensive and focused approach to achieving the requisite legal skills. The center's exceptional faculty is composed of experienced litigators and judges, knowledgeable in all areas of trial work, abreast of current trends, and committed to providing John Marshall students with cutting-edge instruction. Professor Ronald C. Smith is the Director of the Center for Advocacy & Dispute Resolution and Susann MacLachlan is the Associate Director.
