This document provides an overview of the Law 420 Advocacy Skills (Criminal) course. The 3-credit course is graded based on attendance, class tests, performances in mock trials and a court visit, a midterm exam, and a final exam. The course instructor has degrees in criminology and law from the UK and Australia. Students will learn practical courtroom skills through demonstrations, discussions, and experiential assignments. Key topics covered include pre-trial procedures, examination of witnesses, arguments, appellate advocacy, ethics, and using technology in the courtroom. Readings and movies/TV shows provide additional context. The course aims to prepare students for real-world practice in criminal courts.

1. Course Curriculum
Law 420, Advocacy Skills (Criminal)
Credit Hours 3 Total Marks – 100.
Marks allocation: - Attendance 10, Five Class tests and Class performances (4 Mock trials and a
court visit), 10+10+10+10+10 = 50, Mid-term-20, Final 20 = Total 100
No written Exams.

2. Course Instructor
Showkat Hossain,
Additional District and Sessions Judge,
Member ( Judicial), First Court of Settlement, Dhaka.
MSC in Criminology and Criminal Justice , University of Edinburgh, UK.
Post Graduate Diploma on Law, Western Sydney University.

3. COURSE DESCRIPTION
• What actually happens in the real courts
• A variety of teaching methods including formal oral and written instruction, demonstrations, interactive
group discussions, moots and other experiential learning exercises and assignments will be utilized to assist
students develop efficiency in all skill areas. Apart from selected reading materials, students will be given
selected watch lists for example, famous movie clips or clips from tv shows that contains courtroom
scenarios.
• Class attendance is very important.

4. Course Content
1. Preparation For Trial / Pre-Trial Advocacy (Client Interviewing, Pre-trial research on facts, Marshalling of
facts, Research and Documentation, The Demand Letter, Negotiations)
2. Pre-Trial Petitions (Bail petitions, Discovery, Inspection, Charge hearing and charge framing, Moving a
discharge petition)
3. The Opening Statement (Meaning, Statutory basis, Objectives, Techniques)

5. Course Contnt, continued……
4. Examination In Chief (Meaning, Statutory basis, Objectives, Techniques, Examination of papers and
documents in criminal cases, Order of production of witnesses, Relevancy of the Witnesses)
5. Cross Examination (Constructive Cross Examination vs Destructive Cross Examination, leading question:
when and how to ask, Tips and techniques of Cross Examination, Art of Cross Examination in Criminal trial: the
stereotypical way vs the effective way)
6. Re-examination

6. Course Content, Continued……..
7. Arguments
8. Oral advocacy/ presentation- Communication with the Judges, key skills for lawyers, Do’s and Don’ts of
general preparation, Dress, Humor in court.
9. Litigation in the Digital Age-
10. High Tech Courtroom, Virtual Hearing

7. Course Content, Continued
11. Probation of offenders (Probation of offenders Ordinance 1960, When to plea for probation, how to plea it,
mitigating factors in punishment)
12. Appellate Advocacy
13. Workshops on oral advocacy, Participation in Mock Trial.

8. Course Content, Continued……
14. Professional Ethics- Professional ethics and advocacy, standard of professional ethics, Bangladesh Bar
Council Cannons of Professional Conduct and Etiquette
15. Conflict of Interests while lawyering.
16. Duty to client, duty to opponent, duty to colleagues, duty towards society, and obligation to render legal
aid.
17. Bench-Bar relationship, reciprocity as partner in administration of justice, professional misconduct, rights
and privileges of advocate, Contempt of Court.

9. Selected Readings
1) The art of trial advocacy by Mehedi Hassan, National Law book House, Dhaka, 2016
2) Blake, S. (2009) Effective Litigation New York: Oxford University Press.
3) Evans, K. (1993) The Golden Rules of Advocacy New York: Oxford University Press.
4) Evans, K. (1995) Advocacy in Court: A Beginner’s Guide New York: Oxford University Press.
5) Hyam, M (1999) Advocacy Skills New York: Oxford University Press.
6) Maughan,C. and Webb J.(2005) Lawyering Skills and the Legal Process 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press.
7) Morley, I. (2007) The Devil’s Advocate London: Sweet & Maxwell Ltd.
8) Munkham,J.H. (1999) The Technique of Advocacy New Delhi: Universal Law Publishing.

10. Selected watch list
• Movies - A few good men, 12 angry men, My cousin Vinny, Murder in the first, Judgment at Nuremberg, To
kill a mockingbird, The accused, Primal fear, The Verdict, A time to Kill, Witness for the Prosecution, In the
Name of the Father, Paths of glory, The trial of the Chicago seven, the client, compulsion (1956), Nothing
but the truth, Marshal, legally blonde, Bollywood- Jolly LLB, Pink
• Tv Series- The people vs O. J Sympson, Better Call Saul, Goliath, The Devil Next Door.
• Documentaries - RBG, the staircase, Making a murderer, 13th, the thin blue line, The central parl five,
The trials of gabriel fernandez, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.

11. Miscellineous
• For thse who were in the class for previous Semester
• Nominating a CR
• Openning a Whatsapp Group
• Possibility of having joint class
• Meanwhile Last week.

12. Questions ?