2023 CDLA Trial Academy!

Motor Vehicle Accident

April 20–22, 2023

Nominate Lawyers to Participate in the
Colorado Defense Lawyers Association Annual Trial Academy

Practicum organized by 
Stuart Jorgensen, Colorado Attorney General's Office

James Johnson, Johnson Bakken Greely Smith

SIGN UP NOW—LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE!

CLE CREDIT
approved for 29 hours+ 1 Ethics credit. 

TEACHING FEATURES

TYPE OF CASE:   Intersection Left-Turn Traffic Accident, moderate impact.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY:  Suitable for all skill levels

LIABILITY:  Disputed.

CAUSATION:  Disputed.

MEDICAL ISSUES: Allegations of injury to the neck (soft tissue), back (facet injury and aggravation of Bertolotti’s congenital partial fusion of L5- S1), and elbow injuries (epicondylitis with possible cyst). There is some prior chiropractic care to the neck and back. Post-accident treatment includes chiropractic, facet injections and rhizotomies / radiofrequency ablations.

 OTHER DAMAGES:  Medical Specials, lost income, permanent impairment.

 WITNESSES:  There is one eyewitness per side with a corresponding witness statement. Each party also has their own witness statement. Plaintiff has a chiropractic expert and an orthopod/physiatrist. Defendant has an IME and an engineering expert.

 DISCOVERY:  Mutual exchange of party interrogatories and depositions; photos of the vehicles and scene. Each expert has reports, and both experts on each side have been deposed.

TEACHING TOOLS: This case provides sufficient materials for all aspects of trial for each side, including theme development, opening statements, medical concepts and terminology, direct and cross-examination of lay and expert witnesses, impeachment exercises, objections, and closing arguments with jury instructions.

 Cost $850 Per Participant for a 3 day practicum

Includes breakfast, lunch, and a closing day happy hour

A Three-Day (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
Investment Providing Invaluable Benefits

A three-day workshop aimed at developing trial practice skills through a combination of lecture, practicum exercises, and a mock trial. The Colorado Defense Lawyers Association Trial Academy offers this trial advocacy program of exceptional quality, at a very reasonable cost, in a convenient 2 work day and one Saturday trial format held locally in Denver. 

This intensive program blends small group faculty (3:1 student to mentor) instruction and demonstration with individual student implementation drills. The two days is devoted to on point lectures by some of CDLA’s most experienced trial attorneys, followed by mentored practicum exercises. This practicum format has proven successful in development of trial presentation skills in a relatively short period of time.  Some preparation time is also reserved for the end of each day.

The third and final day of Trial Academy consists of the attendees’ trial of a motor vehicle accident. Trial Academy attendees will be divided into three trial teams, Plaintiff and Defendant. Advocacy skills will be honed through use of facts and exhibits that are helpful and harmful to each party.  This year’s problem will also afford participants practice in direct and cross examination of lay and expert witnesses. The trials will be overseen by real judges, and decided by a panel of mock jurors. A moderated debriefing will occur between the judges, the participants and the mock jurors following the verdict

Register Now!

Refund and cancellation policy: A registrant for a CDLA event will be entitled to receive a refund in the amount of 50% of the registration fee if the request is received more than 14 days prior to the scheduled date of the event. Thereafter, no refunds will be provided, but the registrant may substitute another person to participate in the event.