Top Left: Cecilia Le (3L) and Grace Kaesermann (2L) Bottom Left: The Honorable John V. Acosta and Rebecca Ivanoff

This summer, AccessLex Institute sponsored ten students to participate in Oregon Law’s Summer 2020 Litigation Lab. Sponsorship included a $2,000 stipend along with a hard and digital copy of the 10th edition of the Pretrial casebook.  

The 10-week intensive, online litigation workshop series was held from June 2 to August 7 and facilitated by the Honorable John V. Acosta (JD ’85), United States Magistrate Judge. 

“This robust program was designed to teach students effective litigation skills that will make them better and more confident new lawyers,” said Rebecca Ivanoff, assistant dean at Oregon Law’s Center for Career Planning & Professional Development. “Those skills include working with colleagues and clients, investigating and developing cases, drafting and responding to pleadings, initiating and responding to discovery, interviewing and deposing witnesses, conducting motion practice, and writing and arguing motions.”   

The enrollment was limited to ten students to maximize each participant’s opportunity to learn.  Students were divided into plaintiff and defense firms and litigated a hypothetical employment case. 

Students like third-year Cecilia Le were able to work with clients, witnesses, colleagues from their own firm, and counterparts from the opposing firm. Le says that the Litigation Lab gave her valuable professional experience.  

“Having a judge teach us litigation skills was incredibly beneficial to us,” Le said. “I also learned first-hand how difficult handling clients can be and that words matter.” 

By School of Law Communications