Taking Your Oral Advocacy Skills to the Next Level

Author: Gail Geronimo, Program Lawyer, Osgoode Professional Development

To be an effective advocate, you must not only be highly skilled in specific and substantive areas of the law, but you must also ensure that you are able to advocate your case competently and confidently. You must also be adept at making sound, strategic decisions and are able to think on your feet when called upon. These skills are not perfected overnight.

Over 40 years, Osgoode has trained more than 4,500 Canadian litigators on essential oral advocacy skills in our Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop (ITAW). However, effective oral advocacy is a skill that requires constant refinement and practice and as lawyers gain years in practice, they are often called upon to take on more challenging and complex cases. But at the same time, the opportunities to refine these skills typically become more limited.

Building on the success of ITAW, and keeping these lawyers in mind, OsgoodePD has developed a series of hands-on, advanced Oral Advocacy programs.

And, for graduates of the ITAW, you have the opportunity to obtain a Certificate in Oral Advocacy from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Designed and led by the foremost Canadian instructors in advocacy skills training, each of our advanced questioning techniques programs is designed to focus on a specific advocacy skill set and is further complemented by our critical thinking and communications courses.

Intensive, Learn-by-Doing Programs with Individualized Feedback

Using sample case files (specifically designed for OsgoodePD’s oral advocacy programs), lectures, faculty demonstrations, small group breakout sessions, and individual performance, you will have ample opportunity to refine your in‑person and virtual questioning techniques in these programs. Our faculty, respected members of the Bench and Bar, will provide you with specific and individualized feedback as you perform and practice in small group sessions. Upcoming programs include:

In order to take your skills to the next level and improve your critical thinking and communication skills, our intensive ½ day workshops, designed for legal professionals, will give you a better understanding of how your think, and develop your ability to connect, communicate, problem-solve and make effective decisions. Choose from:

Here’s what past attendees have said:

“The small-group, drill sessions were invaluable.” 

“The faculty’s knowledge, perspectives, and feedback were deep, varied, and immediately practical/useful.” 

“Focusing on small sections of cross and receiving feedback right away was immensely helpful” 

“Strong feedback, great advice, very clear, well structured.” 

“The afternoon drill sessions were particularly strong with helpful, practical feedback that I can apply in my practice right away” 

“The program faculty was very honest and helpful with their feedback and constructive criticism”

Register now for one or more individual modules, or as a discounted bundle (bundle price only available until October 15, 2021).

Financial assistance is also available. For more information, please contact financialaid-opd@osgoode.yorku.ca

To register or learn more about the program, please visit the program website.

Comments are closed.