Objection! Sustained. 

Objection! Overruled. 

If you watch a courtroom drama that involves the law, you’ve heard these statements from the actors portraying judges and lawyers. But what do they actually mean?

This class helps students evaluate what makes evidence stronger or weaker when supporting an argument, which can be helpful in other areas outside of law.

That’s what we will learn about in this class - how evidence is used in a courtroom. Evidence is a class offered in almost every law school in some form or another, and it is a topic seen on most Bar Exams (the test to earn your license as a lawyer). 

I am a practicing attorney and a high school teacher, and I am taking the Federal Rules of Evidence (used in most states and federal courts) and bringing them down to a high school level to expose students to the thinking you might use in a law school and a courtroom. 

This isn't a replacement for law school, but it is a great exposure to the types of topics you might experience there.

Each class will start out with a brief talk about the topic of the day, and then we will use fact patterns (story problems in law) to apply our new-found knowledge. 

This method creates discussion and questions between students, and it makes for a fun and interesting class. 

I’ve used this method for over ten years in my live high school classes as well as on Outschool, and I find it very effective for improving the thinking of students as they work through the fact patterns.

I will provide an outline that we will use for each class, usually dropped in the Outschool classroom the day before in case the learner wants to read it over. You may print out the outline or have it up on your screen as we go through it in class.

Students will have no need of prior knowledge of law before taking this class, and students will be able to jump in at anytime during this Ongoing class and still feel comfortable understanding the material.

The schedule (always subject to change) will be as listed here:

Class Schedule January 2025:

Week 1 (January 5 - 11): Why is evidence important to law?

Week 2 (January 12 - 18): Rule 401 - What is relevant to the case? (Real Evidence and Documentary Evidence)

Week 3 (January 19 - 25): Rule 401 - What is relevant to the case? (Testimonial Evidence and Demonstrative Evidence)

Week 4 (January 26 - February 1): Rule 402 - When relevant evidence can be excluded from the courtroom

Week 5 (February 2 - 8): Rule 403 - Excluding relevant evidence for prejudice and confusion

Week 6 (February 9 - 15): Rule 403 - Excluding relevant evidence for waste of time or other reasons

Week 7 (February 16 - 22): Rule 404 - Character evidence - How is character evidence used in a criminal case?

Week 8 (February 23 - March 1): Rule 404 - Character evidence - Permitted uses and prohibited uses

Week 9 (March 2 - 8): Rule 405 - Methods of Proving Character (By Reputation or Opinion; Specific Instances)

Week 10 (March 9 - 15): Rule 406 - Evidence of habit or routine practice

Week 11 (March 16 - 22): Rules 407/408/409 - When can offers and settlements be used in court and when can’t they be used in court?

Week 12 (March 23 - 29): Rule 410: - Pleas and Plea Discussions - what can be used and what can’t be used?

Week 13 (March 30 - April 5): Rule 502: Attorney-Client Privilege - what can be kept out of a courtroom?

Week 14 (April 6 - 12): Rule 602 - Need for Personal Knowledge - what can a witness testify to?

Week 15 (April 13 - 19): Rule 608 - A Witness’s Character for Truthfulness or Untruthfulness

Week 16 (April 20 - 26): Rule 701 - Opinion Testimony by Lay Witness - what can a non-expert testify to in a courtroom?

Let me know if you have any questions! I look forward to seeing you in class.