Arns & Brandi Trial Institute

The Arns & Brandi Trial Institute is USF’s hub for trial practice, litigation skills training, and courtroom work, providing students with hands-on trial experience.

Established in 2026 thanks to a generous gift from alumni and longtime adjunct faculty members, Robert Arns ’75 and Thomas Brandi ’72, the Institute prepares students to graduate ready to try a case from day one.

Why The Arns & Brandi Trial Institute?

Litigation is learned by doing.

The Arns & Brandi Trial Institute brings together USF’s trial prep courses, experiential learning programs, and competition teams into one comprehensive litigation training program. Institute highlights include extensive exposure to courtroom work, simulation-based litigation courses, and practitioner faculty and trial lawyer coaches.

Litigation Skills

USF’s trial advocacy curriculum builds courtroom competence step by step, from foundational doctrine to live trial performance.

Foundational Litigation Courses

Gain core legal training through a litigation lens with courses in Applied Evidence, California Civil Discovery, Civil Procedure, Practical Litigation Skills, Remedies, and Trial Practice.

Trial Advocacy & Courtroom Skills

Practice trial techniques through live simulations. Build core skills in jury selection (voir dire), opening and closing statements, direct and cross-examination, and expert witness examination.

Advanced Litigation Training

Take upper-level courses in Advanced Legal Writing: Federal Civil Pre-Trial Motion Practice; Applied AI: The Human Edge in Tomorrow's Legal Practice; Mediation; Negotiation; Intellectual Property Litigation; and Skills Trial Advocacy & the Ethical Prosecutor.

Trial Advocacy Certificate

The Trial Advocacy Certificate allows JD students to concentrate their studies even further in courtroom advocacy and trial practice. Earning a certificate demonstrates to prospective employers a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Certificate components: core trial advocacy courses, advanced litigation electives, practicum requirement, and the Intensive Advocacy Program (summer).

Learn More About the Certificate

Law student smiling in practice courtroom

Intensive Advocacy Program (Summer)

The Intensive Advocacy Program is a summer litigation immersion focused on core skills development. Students train daily with seasoned practicing trial lawyers, judges, and advocacy faculty. IAP is designed after the renowned NITA (National Institute of Trial Lawyers Association) attorney training program.

Training includes: taking and defending depositions, motion arguments, voir dire, opening & closing statements, witness examinations, and full mock jury trial.

Learn More About the Program

Law student listening attentively in class

Mock Trial Teams & Competitions

USF’s Moot Court Program gives students real courtroom competition experience. Students compete nationally and regionally, argue simulated cases, examine witnesses, and present full trials.

Learn More About Mock Trial Competitions