Advocacy Programs

front of Preston Hall in summer
a student

Learn by Doing in Trial Advocacy

Our advocacy program allows you to learn by doing. In the advocacy program we feature introductory, as well as advanced learning in the art of questioning technique, evidence, jury profiling and selection, theory, and platform skills. Students are given an opportunity to develop skills in openings, closings and examinations.  Haub Law heralds a nationally recognized trial skills program. This comprehensive program interfaces with the traditional curriculum allowing students an opportunity for simulated learning skills sessions. Students' knowledge of substantive law is integrated in an intensive course study of trial skills. The program provides all students an opportunity to experience the vigor of a trial in a controlled simulated environment.  Additionally, the program sponsors a series of lectures featuring noted attorneys who provide insight into fascinating and complex litigation matter. These small and sometimes large seminars allow students a chance to question top litigators on strategy and technique. They provide an advanced intellectual discussion of modern trial problems.

Trial Advocacy Course

This introductory course provides students with the basic trial skills and offers an invaluable and unique learning experience. Students learn these skills by doing and watching as a hypothetical cases are litigated at the trial level.

Throughout the semester, students learn to:

  • Prepare witnesses
  • Perform a variety of short and longer exercises including direct and cross examinations
  • Make objections
  • Write evidentiary memos
  • Deliver opening and closing statements

Student performances are critiqued by faculty and their peers. Critiques include demonstrations as well as an opportunity for the students to re work their performance. All student performances are digitally recorded for self-analysis.

Additionally, each semester the Trial Advocacy Program provides students with the opportunity to participate in an evening symposium on revolving issues in trial work. Noted practitioners, faculty and experts in trial advocacy are invited to the campus to participate and interact with students and practitioners.

The course concludes with students presenting a full case in front of simulated judges and the use of Presentation Software, i.e. Power Point, Summation, etc.

Mentoring Program

Pace Law Students are given an opportunity to formally and informally receive career guidance by our experienced trial advocacy faculty. This unique aspect of the program allows students interested in litigation careers an opportunity to interact and network with faculty one on one. Students are provided with advice on course selection, internships, and job interviewing. Students interested in the Mentoring Program should contact Louis V. Fasulo.

Trial Advocacy Competitions

Intramural Trial Competition
During the Spring semester Pace Law School hosts the Pace Intramural Trial Competition. This intra-school competition culminates with a full trial presentation by the top four advocates. The preliminary rounds of the competition are judged by faculty, practitioners, and judges. The students are expected to present a pre-selected portion of a mock trial for review by the judges. Students scoring the highest points are invited to compete in the Final Rounds held in the early Fall.

The National White Collar Crime Mock Trial Invitational:
Georgetown University Law Center sponsors the National White Collar Crime Mock Trial Invitational. Pace has been one of 20 schools invited to participate during the past few years.

Inter-school Trial Competition
The Competition also provides the selection basis for participating on the Pace Inter-school Trial Competition Teams. Fifteen to twenty student advocates will be selected from the student body to compete in the Inter-school Competition. Selected students will work with Faculty Coaches to prepare for Regional and National Competitions. Pace sends students to ten nationally recognized competitions annually. In addition to these competitions, students compete in the following competitions related to client skills, such as mediation, arbitration, and client counseling:

  • ABA Law Student Division's Negotiation Competition:
    The ABA Law Student Division's Negotiation Competition offers you a forum to develop the very skills you will use as a practitioner, and a chance to meet and network with fellow law students - future colleagues - from around the nation. Moreover, participation in a national competition will give you an opportunity to gain important resume-building experience and recognition. ?Pace won the Regional competition in Fall 2003 and went on to the National Competition, where their first place win in Spring 2004 afforded them an invitation to compete in the International Competition in July 2004 held in Paris, France.
  • ABA Law Student Division Client Counseling Competition:
    The Client Counseling Competition was conceived and developed as a legal teaching technique by Professor Louis M. Brown of the University of Southern California Law Center. The purpose of the competition is to promote greater knowledge and interest among law students in the preventive law and counseling functions of law practice and to encourage students to develop interviewing, planning, and analytical skills in the lawyer-client relationship in the law office. Pace hosted the Regional competition in Spring 2004 where we placed in the finals.
  • The National Trial Competition:
    The National Trial Competition was established in 1975 to strengthen students’ advocacy skills. It is sponsored by the Texas Young Lawyers Association and American College of Trial Lawyers. Civil and criminal trial problems are alternated each year.
  • The Association of Trial Lawyers of America:
    The Association of Trial Lawyers of America sponsors the National Student Trial Advocacy Competition in an effort to train and educate law students in trial advocacy.This National Competition features a civil mock trial.
  • The National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition:
    The National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition is sponsored by the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section. The Northeast Regional has taken place at Quinnipiac University School of Law, where Pace placed in the semifinals in Fall 2003.
  • The National White Collar Crime Mock Trial Invitational:
    Georgetown University Law Center sponsors the National White Collar Crime Mock Trial Invitational. They invite twenty schools to participate in the competition. Pace

Client Counseling Competitions

Pace Law School heralds a nationally recognized trial skills program. This comprehensive program interfaces with the traditional curriculum allowing students an opportunity for simulated learning skills sessions. The program features introductory, as well as, advanced learning in the art of client counseling.

The Client Counseling Skills Teams
The program participates in external client counseling skills competitions including:

American Bar Association Negotiation Competition
The ABA Law Student Division’s Negotiation Competition offers you a forum to develop the very skills you will use as a practitioner, and a chance to meet and network with fellow law students - future colleagues - from around the nation. Moreover, participation in a national competition will give you an opportunity to gain important resume-building experience and recognition. This competition engages students in legal negotiations to resolve a series of legal problems. Contest simulations consist of a common set of facts known by all participants and confidential information known only to participants representing a particular side. Pace won the Regional competition in Fall 2003 and went on to the National Competition, where their first place win in Spring 2004 afforded them an invitation to compete in the International Competition in July 2004 held in Paris, France.

American Bar Association Client Counseling Competition
The Client Counseling Competition was conceived and developed as a legal teaching technique and is intended to promote greater knowledge and interest among law students in the preventive law and counseling functions of law practice. It also encourages students to develop interviewing, planning, and analytical skills in the lawyer-client relationship in the law office. Pace hosted the Regional competition in Spring 2006 where we placed Second in the National Competition.

American Bar Association Arbitration Competition
This competition simulates a realistic arbitration hearing, where students represent a client and participate in opening statements, witness examinations, exhibit introductions, evidentiary presentations and summations.

The American Bar Association Mediation & Dispute Resolution Competition
This competition allows students to represent clients in a mediation situation. In this competition, law students role-play as attorneys and clients in a mediation setting. The competition measures how well law students model appropriate preparation for and representation of a client in mediation.

Moot Court Trial Advocacy Board

Members of the Moot Court Trial Advocacy Board will work with members of the faculty and professionals in the field. They will be selected based on their demonstrated interest and success in trial advocacy and moot court. Board member responsibilities include: participating in competitions, participating in the selection process, assisting teams with in-house competitions and preparation for inter-school competitions, working with local high schools and presenting topics to students at large.

The Moot Court Trial Advocacy Board is selected in the Spring by the current Moot Court Board in conjunction with the director.

  • Administer and run all aspects of the Louis V. Fasulo First Year Moot Court Competition and assist in all aspects of the administration of the Grand Moot Court
  • Assist in internal and external trial competitions
  • Set up all components of the internal tryout;
  • Set up all room assignments and other Pace Law School equipment requirements with Special Events
  • Coordinator and attend calendar meetings;
  • Oversee that photocopies of briefs are made one week before they are due;
  • Oversee that the briefs are sent out in a timely manner;
  • Assist team leaders in sending out briefs to Competition headquarters;
  • Arrange practice sessions with team leader;
  • Assist in setting up final public in-house moot practices;
  • Handle correspondence and distribution of briefs to law school faculty and outside judges;
  • Report to the Pace Law School community on teams' performance;
  • Assist in managing the Pace Law School Moot Court Program Website;
  • Assist the Director and the Administrator in the various administrative components of the competitions as well as preparation of the moot court budget.
  • Propose policies and procedures for Moot Court teams and competitions and work with the Director in the development of the overall Moot Court program in the law school.

Trial Advocacy Instructors

Louis V. Fasulo, Director of Advocacy Programs
Trial Advocacy Program Director Louis V. Fasulo is a graduate of Pace Law School and former director of staff development training at the Legal Aid Society in New York City. Professor Fasulo also maintains an active litigation practice and has served as an adjunct professor at many metro-area law schools. He has lectured on trial skills for various bar association programs and Continuing Legal Education Programs, He also taught at St. John's University School School of Law and at Fordham University

Robert Y. Altchiler
Robert Y. Altchiler, is the owner and principal owner of Altchiler LLC, a boutique law firm specializing in white collar criminal and corporate investigations and trials, entertainment, tax, IP, business, corporate, media, commercial and related matters. Altchiler LLC handles all federal prosecutions and investigations throughout the country, as well as state prosecutions and investigations in New York. The firm also provides litigation counseling to other trial lawyers, assisting them in developing trial strategies and tactics, and helping them formulate arguments. Robert is a former NYC prosecutor who aids clients in business development and regulatory compliance and with issues relating to entertainment, IP, media, tax, corporate and a wide variety of other areas. Robert has been a member of the trial advocacy faculty since 1998.

The Honorable Richard T. Andrias
Hon. Andrias, who teaches Trial Advocacy, is an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, State of New York. Prior to being appointed to the Criminal Court and then elected to the Supreme Court of New York State, he was a trial lawyer for the Legal Aid Society.

Coleen Balbert
Ms. Balbert has been an assistant district attorney with the New York Country District Attorney's Office since 1998, where she has prosecuted sexual assaults, armed robberies, assaults and white collar crimes. In 2007, she was promoted to Deputy Unit Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit where she currently supervises the prosecution of all sexual assaults in Manhattan.

Susane Brody
Ms. Susane Brody has an B.A. Ohio University; M.A. Boston University; J.D. Pace, 1988; 1988-2000, Associate with Serchuk & Zelermeyer, a white plains litigation firm; 2000 to present, Assistant Federal Defender, S.D.N.Y., currently attorney in charge of the White Plains office; Adjunct Professor Pace Law, Trial Advocacy, 1995-1999, 2009.

Julia Cornachio Delvecchio
Ms. Julia Del Vecchio has been a prosecutor for almost twenty years. Beginning her career in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office in 1990 she tried many homicide cases and other serious felonies for that Office. Professor Del Vecchio left the Bronx as a Major Case Assistant District Attorney to work for the Westchester District Attorney in 1997. Currently she is a Bureau Chief in the Trial Division supervising other Assistant District Attorneys and still trying homicide cases.

Steven Epstein
Professor Steven Epstein is currently in private practice in criminal defense and commercial and civil litigation.

The Honorable Alexander W. Hunter, Jr.
Professor Hunter is a justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Twelfth Judicial District.

John Meringolo
Professor Meringolo is Proprietor of Meringolo & Associates, P.C.

Bobby Sternheim
Mr. Sternheim is a former King’s County District Attorney and is presently a solo practitioner specializing in federal criminal defense work. She is a member of the Advanced Advocacy Group

Keith Sullivan
Professor Keith Sullivan is a partner in the law firm of Sullivan & Galleshaw, LLP. He is experienced in handling all personal injury and criminal defense matters. Mr. Sullivan's practice areas include medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents, work-related accidents, lead paint injuries, wrongful death, slip and fall, general liability, litigation and criminal defense matters in both New York State and Federal Courts. He also teaches for the Professional Multi-state Bar Review, a bar review course for the national portion of the Bar Exam.

Itamar J. Yeger
Mr. Yeger works for the Rockland County District Attorney as the Executive managing the Appeals Bureau. He has written numerous appeals and articles in both criminal and civil law, and has taped lectures for continuing legal education classes. He has served as an elected village trustee and town councilman, and as Counsel to the Rockland County Legislature.

Trial Advocacy Mentors and Coaches

  • John Chaconas
    Mr. Chaconas is a graduate of St. John’s University School of Law. Mr. Chaconas is presently Senior Litigation Associate at the Law Offices of Alan I. Lamer, focusing on complex insurance litigation
  • Aaron Goldsmith
    Mr. Goldsmith received a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Tufts and is a graduate of Pace Law School. He is currently a Senior Associate at Fasulo, Shalley and DiMaggio.
  • Nicholas Martin
    Mr. Martin received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland and is a graduate of Pace University School of Law. He is currently an attorney for AIG and is working in their legal auditing department.