Sponsors
Special Thanks to These Sponsors:
Overview
Prepare to step into the court room with confidence. The Advanced Trial Advocacy Program sharpens your trial skills. It provides an immersive, hands-on learning environment with opportunities to practice and perfect skills based on guidance from experienced and well-respected Montana judges, trial lawyers, and communications experts. This program is designed for attorneys who are in the first five years of their practice.
The Alexander Blewett III School of Law has applied for continuing legal education credits with the Montana CLE Commission.
We are grateful to the State Bar of Montana for their sponsorship.
Registration
Here is the Link to Register on Eventbrite
Seating is limited & early registration is encouraged.
Early bird registration ends April 20th: $1,762.51 No refunds after April 20th, 2026. Substitutions welcome.
Registration ends May 26: $2,082.63 No refunds. Substitutions welcome.
Refund requests honored prior to May 9, 2026. We are unable to offer refunds after that date but substitutions are welcome.
Schedule
ATAS Schedule 2026| Monday - June 1, 2026 (MORNING) | ||
| Monday Morning |
8:15 – 8:30 am Faculty meet in Room 201 |
Faculty Meeting |
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8:30 – 9:00 am All participants and faculty |
General Assembly: Opening Convocation and Introductions |
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9:00– 10:30 am All participants and faculty |
How to Prepare your Case: Big Picture Guest Lecturer: Cliff Edwards |
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| 10:30 – 10:45 am | BREAK | |
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10:45 – 12:00 pm All participants and faculty |
Faculty Demonstration: Jury Selection Megan Paddock representing: State of Montana |
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| 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm | LUNCH | |
| Monday - June 1, 2026 (AFTERNOON) | ||
| Monday Afternoon |
1:30 – 3:30 pm Each section meets in its scheduled Individual meeting rooms 14, 15, |
Workshop: Jury Selection – A’s conduct voir dire for State of Montana |
| 3:30 – 3:45 pm | BREAK | |
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3:45 – 5:00 pm All participants and faculty |
Faculty Lecture: Ethics for the Trial Lawyer Mike Lamb |
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| Tuesday - June 2, 2026 (MORNING) | ||
| Tuesday Morning |
8:00 – 9:30 am All participants and faculty |
Faculty Lecture: Courtroom Communications Samuel Boerbroom, Ph.D. |
| 9:30 – 9:45 am | BREAK | |
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9:45– 11:15 am All participants and faculty |
Faculty Demonstration: Opening Statements Thorin Geist for State of Montana |
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11:15 am – 12:00 pm All participants and faculty |
Faculty Lecture: The Visual Trial Christina Yoshimura, Ph.D. |
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| 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm | LUNCH | |
| Tuesday - June 2, 2026 (AFTERNOON) | ||
| Tuesday Afternoon |
1:30 – 3:30 pm All participants and faculty |
Workshop: Opening Statements – B’s for State of Montana |
| 3:30 – 3:45 pm | BREAK | |
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3:45 – 5:30 pm All participants and faculty |
Faculty Demonstration: Direct and Cross Sean Goicocchea on Direct |
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| Wednesday - June 3, 2026 (MORNING) | ||
| Wednesday Morning |
9:00 – 9:45 am All participants and faculty |
Faculty Lecture: Making and Meeting Objections Prof. Cynthia Ford |
| 9:45 – 10:00 am | BREAK | |
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10:00 am – 12:00 pm Each section meets in its Use rooms 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 |
Workshop: Direct & Cross of Dusty Stockard– A’s on Direct |
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| 12:00 – 1:15 pm | LUNCH | |
| Wednesday - June 3, 2026 (AFTERNOON) | ||
| Wednesday Afternoon |
1:15 – 3:15 PM Each section meets in its Individual meeting rooms 14, |
Workshop: Direct and Cross of Bree Trevino B’s on Direct |
| 3:15 – 3:30 pm | BREAK | |
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3:30 – 4:30 pm All participants and faculty |
Panel on How the Sausage is Made: Settling Jury Hon. Kathleen “Katie” Desoto |
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| Thursday - June 4, 2026 (MORNING) | ||
| Thursday Morning |
8:00 – 10:00 am Each section meets in its Individual meeting rooms 14, |
Workshop: Direct and Cross of Susan Phillips B’s on Direct |
| 10:00 – 10:15 am | BREAK | |
|
10:15 am – 12:15 pm Each section meets in its Individual meeting rooms 14, |
Workshop: Direct & Cross of Dr. C. Pozza A’s on Direct |
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| 12:15 – 1:30 pm | LUNCH | |
| Thursday - June 4, 2026 (AFTERNOON) | ||
| Thursday Afternoon |
1:30 – 2:30 pm All participants and faculty |
Using Electronic Exhibits During Trial Guest Speaker: Tina Sunderland |
| 3:30 – 3:45 pm | BREAK | |
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3:00 – 4:30 pm All participants and faculty |
Faculty Demonstration: Closing Arguments Ryan Weldon for State of Montana |
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| Friday - June 5, 2026 (MORNING) | ||
| Friday Morning |
8:30 – 11:30 am Each section meets in its Use rooms 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 |
Workshop: Closing Arguments B’s for State of Montana |
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11:30 am – 1:30 pm All participants and faculty |
Reception and Certificates presented by Faculty | |
Faculty Roster
- Hon. Kathleen L. “Katie” DeSoto, United States District Court, District of Montana
- Hon. Leslie Halligan, District Court Judge, 4th Judicial District
- Hon. Karen Townsend, Retired District Court Judge, 4th Judicial District
- Hon. Mike Menahan, District Court Judge, 1st Judicial District, Broadwater & Lewis and Clark Counties
- Adam Duerk, McFarland, Molloy & Duerk
- Professor Cynthia Ford, Blewett School of Law, The University of Montana
- Thorin Geist, Assistant Attorney General, Montana Department of Justice
- Sean Goicoechea, Moore, Cockrell, Goicoechea & Johnson
- Danna Jackson, Tribal Attorney, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
- Natasha Prinzing Jones, Boone Karlberg
- Michael F. Lamb, Lamb Law Office
- Dylan McFarland, McFarland, Molloy & Duerk
- Meghann F. Paddock, Assistant Attorney General, Montana Department of Justice
- Paul Ryan, Ryan, Miller & Coburn
- Ryan G. Weldon, Laird Cowley
- Ashely Whipple, Whipple Law Office, PLLC
Communication Faculty
- Christina G. Yoshimura, Ph.D., Interim Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor of Communication Studies, The University of Montana
- Samuel Boerboom, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Communications & Theater, Montana State University - Billings
- Megan Cullinan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, The University of Montana
- Nikki R. Schaubel, Communications Consulting
Guest Speaker
- A. Clifford Edwards, Edwards & Culver