Research and Course Guides: Trial Advocacy: CALI Lessons

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CALI Lessons

In the early 1980s, CALI set the precedent for creation and use of computer-assisted legal instruction exercises. CALI pioneered pre-packaged, interactive, computer-based legal education materials in text form with its CALI Lessons. CALI Lessons are web-based tutorials on a variety of legal subjects known as CALI Lessons. Currently there are over 950 lessons in over 35 law school subjects in CALI's library of lessons. The lessons are free to all CALI member schools' students.

Tutorials are authored by law faculty using CALI's lesson authoring software called CALI Author, and peer-reviewed by a member of the CALI Editorial Board. CALI Author is available to download for free by member school faculty.

Cali Lessons

Character Evidence Under Federal Rules
Summary: This exercise deals with attack and support of the character of parties, victims, and witnesses; the use of reputation and opinion testimony as character evidence; and the admissibility of other crimes, wrongs, or acts as evidence falling outside the general ban on character evidence.
Part of the exercise is a simulated trial in which students are asked to decide whether to object to certain questions asked on direct or cross-examination. In a subsequent section, students play the role of judge and rule on objections. Other sections of the exercise require students to respond to questions about factual hypotheticals.

Completion Time: 2 hours
The Defense Function
Summary: The student plays the role of a lawyer in a hypothetical criminal trial. As the trial progresses the student is faced with various problems raising issues under the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice. The lesson asks what should be done in each situation and responds to the student’s answer by commenting upon it, asking further questions, or progressing further with the trial.
This lesson was revised in accordance with the Model Rules of Conduct, as amended through August 2003.

Completion Time: 1.5 Hours
The Hearsay Rule & Its Exceptions
Summary: This exercise is based on a simulated trial in which the user is asked to rule on hearsay objections and to give reasons for the rulings. The exercise was composed under a grant from the Federal Judicial Center, which has used it, along with the Character Evidence exercise, as part of its training program for incoming federal judges. It is suitable for students who have completed their study of the hearsay rule and who know something about the rules relating to impeachment and cross examinations.

Completion Time: 1 hour
Impeachment and Rehabilitation of Witnesses
This exercise begins with a transcript of the direct examination of a government witness in a criminal action. The direct examination will be followed by a crossexamination, and the student is asked to rule on objections to impeachment questions by the crossexaminer. The student will be asked “remedial questions” after the completion of the first phase of this exercise if certain questions are erroneously answered. The lesson focuses on permissible and impermissible impeachment concepts under the Federal Rules of Evidence. The exercise was composed under a grant from the Federal Judicial Center as part of its training program for incoming federal judges.

Completion Time: 1 hour