This seminar is very applicable to real life business challenges. Louis Scheidt, Innovative Engineering, Inc., Wall Township, NJ

Purpose and Background

The law affects every aspect of your professional and personal life. In order to succeed, you must have an advanced knowledge of the law and the American legal system. Law School for Engineers has been specially designed for civil engineers to give you this knowledge. It will teach you how to read, think, speak, and analyze like a lawyer. At the completion of the course you will be much better able to understand and deal with attorneys and legal issues. 

Law School for Engineers will be taught like actual law school. You will be actively involved in the learning process, which features numerous case examples dealing with issues facing civil engineers. You will be provided with a comprehensive, text-quality manual which you can save and keep as a reference. You will have a chance to get your legal questions answered, interpret case, statutory and administrative law, object to evidence, and examine witnesses. There will be an optional, multiple choice bar examination on the second day of the course and the top scorer will be recognized. This examination has been modeled after the actual Multi-State Bar Examination which is taken by every prospective attorney. The course concludes with a mock trial in which you will have the opportunity to participate as a part of a legal team, as a witness or as a member of the jury.

Topics covered include: 

• How to analyze and interpret the law
• The legal elements of and defenses to a negligence action
• How to think and speak like a lawyer
• The anatomy of a lawsuit, including: complaints, answers, motions, summary judgment, remedies, and appeals
• Your rights and obligations under liability insurance contracts
• The discovery process, including: depositions, interrogatories, entry upon land, subpoenas duces tecum, and requests for production of documents
• The anatomy of a civil trial, including: the role of the judge and jury opening statements, burdens of proof and persuasion, summation, directed verdicts, judgments notwithstanding the verdicts, jury deliberation and decision and judgments
• The key rules of evidence
• The legal rules effecting the testimony and cross-examination of civil engineers who serve as expert witnesses
• Works compensation laws - the rights and immunities

Seminar Benefits and Learning Outcomes

• Better understand the legal system and the interrelationship of various types of law
• Learn substantive law of torts, civil procedure, evidence and insurance
• Understand how to more effectively deal with attorneys
• Understand exactly how a lawsuit works and the rules the attorneys must follow
• Learn the legal rules that will make you a more effective expert witness

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed through a series of problem-solving design exercises, short case studies, and class discussion following the presentation of each major topic. 

Who Should Attend?

This seminar is designed for any civil engineer who would like a better understanding of the law or the legal system. It is ideal for any civil engineer who needs to work closely with statutes or regulations, who is or may become involved in litigation, who serves as an expert witness, would like to more effectively deal with attorneys and talk their language or who is at all considering pursuing a legal degree.

Seminar Outline

TIME:  8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Fundamentals of the Law and the American Legal System  

• Relationship among federal and state constitutional, statutory, administrative and common law
• How to interpret statutes and regulations

Negligence

• How to think like a lawyer
• The four elements of negligence: duty, breach, causation and damages
• Joint and vicarious liability

Defenses to Negligence

• Comparative and contributory negligence
• Statute of limitations
• Governmental Immunity
• Exclusivity of workers compensation

Workers Compensation

• Liability, damages and third-party actions

Insurance Law

• Coverage
• Exclusions
• Duties of insurer
• Duties of insured

Anatomy of a Lawsuit

• Complaints
• Answers
• Affirmative defenses
• Discovery
• Motions
• Summary judgment
• Motions to dismiss
• Remedies and appeals

The Discovery Process

• Depositions
• Interrogatories
• Requests for production of documents
• Subpoenas duces tecum
• Entry upon land

Jurisdiction and Venue  

• Personal Jurisdiction
• Subject Matter Jurisdiction
• Venue

Bar Examination (Optional)

Evidence

• Hearsay and its exceptions
• Relevancy
• Unfair Prejudice

Expert Testimony and Impeachment

• Qualifications
• Methodology
• Rules governing discrediting the witness

Trial Demonstration

Hotel Information

Discounted hotel rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. See discount deadline and rates below.