Session 1
In this unique, immersive two-week program, students will learn about the law and legal careers, guided by experienced faculty and aided by JD and other students from the McGeorge School of Law. The course will offer a wide range of guest speakers, interactive exercises and some field trips to give students a sense of the broad range of important skills and experiences in the lives of lawyers and legal professionals.
Students in this course will be exposed to the wide variety of careers that lawyers and legal professionals can have. They will learn about the core skills that people who are working in the legal profession must hone, including research and writing skills. Students will leave with an understanding of the critical importance of the rule of law in our society and the many ways that lawyers contribute to a civil and orderly society.
Students will shadow and interact with current students in the JD and other programs at McGeorge and lawyers in the community. They will have an opportunity to try hands-on lawyering activities like presenting arguments, mediating disputes and drafting contracts while also learning about a variety of trending law and policy issues.
The course will cover the role of the judiciary in our system of checks and balances. Guest lectures by judges and a possible field trip to a court are planned. Students will also have the opportunity to learn about the role of lawyers in legislative and administrative bodies as well as in civil and criminal justice systems.
Some part of each day will be spent on practical skills instruction so that every student will leave with improved writing and analytical thinking skills.
Director, Capital Center for Law & Policy and Adjunct Professor of Law
JD, Stanford Law School, 1997
BA, UCLA, 1993
As director of McGeorge School of Law’s Capital Center for Law & Policy and Capital Lawyering Concentration, Professor O’Neal focuses on strategizing with those interested in government and policy, legislative work, lobbying and other careers in and around the Capitol. Professor O’Neal combines her legislative and litigation experience to teach Capital Lawyering and Policymaking as well as Global Lawyering Skills. She works to provide in-depth instruction on persuasive written and oral advocacy in both the policymaking and courtroom arenas to prepare graduates to be practice ready as they begin their careers.
