Program Overview

The civil advocacy and dispute resolution concentration lets you explore all the varied ways that lawyers help clients solve problems and resolve conflicts. You will hone your skills as a creative negotiator, as a wise adviser and as an effective courtroom litigator. You’ll learn the theory and the practice of the different alternative methods to resolve disputes, make deals and reach settlements outside of court, such as mediation and arbitration. Most important, you can help us achieve our vision: to reimagine the law as a healing profession.  

Our dispute resolution program was ranked 14th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Our Center on Dispute Resolution — with its Quinnipiac/Yale Workshop Speaker Series, training sessions and student-run Society for Dispute Resolution — are all valuable resources that are at your disposal. The center’s programs offer you the opportunity to learn and train with practicing professionals in the field. The highly decorated student competition teams provide you the stage to hone your advocacy skills through regional and national mock trial, moot court, negotiation, mediation and client counseling competitions. 

After two semesters, you’ll have the opportunity to practice what you are learning in the classroom in one of our legal clinics and in our diverse externship program. As a certified legal intern, you can counsel actual clients, negotiate, mediate cases and argue in courts.