Cardozo’s ITAP is one of the toughest trial advocacy programs in the country. This month 55 Cardozo students spent two weeks experiencing every aspect of conducting a trial— and they did it in front of judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys from around the country who critiqued each student’s performance.
“The amazing thing about this program is the quality of the faculty and the intensity of focus that comes from doing day-in and day-out work on a trial for two weeks,” said Peter Walsh, the director of ITAP. “Students love it because it is the closest thing to experiencing a real trial that exists in law school.”
The 81 professionals conducting the program came from 10 states and included 8 judges, 9 prosecutors, 5 state or federal public defenders and 59 private attorneys in both criminal and civil practice. Also on hand were a number of expert witnesses from the office of New York City’s chief medical examiner.
Jon Lenzner, First Assistant United States Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland, participated in ITAP as a Cardozo student and now is one of the ITAP judges. “It was transformative,” says Lenzner in describing how the program impacted his studies and his career success. Lenzner, who graduated from Cardozo in 2004, is a longtime supporter of ITAP and has served as a member of the Cardozo Board of Overseers since 2015.
The course is one of only a handful in the country that use an intensive boot-camp approach to teach law students how to conduct a trial. Students learn and practice core courtroom skills: establishing fact patterns, submitting items into evidence and delivering opening and closing arguments. They prepare for trial in teams. The program culminates with students putting their training to the test before a judge and jury in a mock trial. The professional faculty critique the students during each session, providing one-on-one feedback while reviewing videos of each student’s performance. The program has helped launch generations of trial lawyers into the justice system.