Law - John P. Gismondi Civil Litigation Concentration

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Pitt Law’s John P. Gismondi Civil Litigation Concentration offers a special curriculum devoted exclusively to training the trial lawyers of tomorrow. Are you drawn to the real life drama of the courtroom? Do you have dreams of becoming a trial attorney? If so, then the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law) may just be the place for you. Through its unique John P. Gismondi Civil Litigation Concentration, , Pitt Law can provide you with a  curriculum devoted to training the trial lawyers of tomorrow.

Students who wish to register for the Gismondi program do so at the beginning of their second year of study. All students enrolled in the program will take specific required foundational core courses, a clinic or practicum, and several specialized classes during their second and third years.

At the Program Director’s discretion, students may register for the program after their third semester of law school if there is a reasonable likelihood that they can complete the program requirements on time. Please review the requirements carefully before enrolling in the program and be aware of course prerequisites. Enrolling in Evidence in the Fall semester of the second year is advised to give you ample opportunity to complete the requirements.

Class size is kept small in each specialized skills course to enrich the learning experience. Students are not only taught legal rules and principles in a typical lecture format but are, more importantly, assigned to “role-play” in various real-world litigation scenarios, each designed to develop specific skills essential to successful trial work.

Students complete their training by taking a required litigation skills clinic or practicum selected from this group of options. In all of these clinics, students have the potential of representing real clients in actual court proceedings.

The students in the John P. Gismondi Civil Litigation Concentration will complete their law school education having developed a set of skills which better prepares them to do courtroom work than traditional law school graduates, and that advantage, in turn, makes the Gismondi concentration students more attractive to law firms seeking to hire young and enthusiastic litigation associates.