Program Overview

Introduction to the LL.M. in Trial Advocacy Program

The LL.M. in Trial Advocacy program at Temple University Beasley School of Law combines theoretical insights with practical skills, including persuasive storytelling, extemporaneous speaking, and effective use of courtroom technology. With a focus on performance-based learning, the program follows a "learn by doing" approach, providing students with hands-on opportunities to refine their advocacy skills in a real-world context.

Program Overview

Temple Law's Trial Advocacy program has been consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top three trial advocacy programs in the nation for over 20 years. This ranking reflects the program's commitment to excellence and its long-standing reputation in shaping top-tier advocates. The LL.M. in Trial Advocacy program attracts students from across the country and the greater Philadelphia area, fostering a dynamic learning environment where lawyers with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise can engage, network, and learn from both faculty and peers.

Curriculum and Schedule

The LL.M. in Trial Advocacy is a one-year, 24-credit degree program. While a full-time program, the LL.M. is designed for practicing attorneys with real-world personal and professional obligations. Classes are scheduled on most Thursday evenings throughout the semester from 6 – 9 PM and may be attended online if the student works/lives more than a one-hour drive from Temple's main campus. All students must attend the August Bootcamp and scheduled performance weekends on the Philadelphia campus.

Performance Weekend Schedule

• Orientation/Bootcamp: August 2-9, 2025
• Depositions/Experts: October 3-5, 2025
• Jury Dynamics: November 14-16, 2025
• Teaching Advocacy: February 20-22, 2026
• Final Jury Trials: April 24-26, 2026

Application Deadline and Requirements

The application deadline for the program is May 1, 2026. Students who require a visa should consider applying for the LL.M. for Foreign-Trained Lawyers, as the distance learning component of this program does not meet the requirements for a student visa.

Advocacy in the Time of COVID-19

The program teaches lawyers how to become master advocates in the time of COVID-19, including skills in remote advocacy, integration of TrialPad and other courtroom technology to virtual meeting platforms, proper authentication and publication of exhibits online, and the "nuts and bolts" of case prep in a world of remote advocacy.

Message from the Director

The Director of the LL.M. in Trial Advocacy Program welcomes prospective students and highlights the program's unique features, including its faculty composed of attorneys, judges, and law professors recognized throughout the world as legal experts, scholars, and accomplished trial lawyers.

Program Benefits

Students of this program graduate with an LL.M. degree in Trial Advocacy. Those who have already been barred earn 22 substantive CLE credits and 2 ethics credits. The program is ideal for those who aspire to perfect their litigation tactics, remote advocacy, and courtroom performance.

Additional Course Offerings

The program also offers a standalone course, Excelling in Evidence, which provides a master litigator's grasp of complex principles and evidence strategies. The course is taught by Professor Jules Epstein and is available to 25 attorneys and judges who can attend in person and 25 who wish to attend as distance learners via a live, interactive web broadcast.

Excelling in Evidence Course Details

• Course dates: August 15-17 & August 22-23 from 6 – 9 PM EST each day
• Fee: $900, a savings of almost 50% in tuition for these credits for those who later enroll in the LL.M. program
• Limited scholarships are available for lawyers working in public interest.