Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

ELIGIBILITY

Registration is open to U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents (Green Card holders) who meet all of the following criteria:

1. The registrant is currently licensed to practice law in the United States;
2. The registrant is a member in good standing of a State Bar; and
3. The registrant does not currently represent insurance companies, large corporations or governmental entities other than legal services or public defenders.

Note: The Death Penalty Seminar is open to U.S. lawyers, investigators and mitigation specialists.

COURSE SCHEDULE AND PREREQUISITES 

For the college’s current offerings, visit the Courses page.

Every effort is made to ensure that course information is accurate; however, changes or corrections may occur. Check the Courses page frequently because you will not receive e-mail updates from the Registrar prior to the course.

Course prerequisites are specified in the individual course descriptions. 

REGISTRATION

You can register online by visiting Register Now.

Register as soon as possible to assure a place in the course(s) you want to attend. If you delay, the course may be full (or the application deadline for the Trial Lawyers College 3-Week Course may have passed).

Registrants will receive a confirmation notice via e-mail.

Registration is not considered final until payment arrangements have been made with the Registrar.

CLE CREDIT

All courses provided by the Trial Lawyers College are CLE accredited by the state in which the course is held.

It is your responsibility to apply for CLE credit in the state (or states) in which you practice law. After you submit an online evaluation of the course you attended, the Registrar will e-mail you the paperwork you may need to apply for CLE credits.

For more important information, visit the CLE Credits page.

CANCELLATIONS 

If you choose to withdraw from a course, you may be eligible for a refund.

Visit the Payment, Cancellation and Refund Policy page for details.

Applicants to the Trial Lawyers College 3-Week Course are offered admission on a competitive basis.

Admission decisions are made by the TLC Board of Directors based on the strength of your application and the overall pool of applicants competing for admission. Key factors include trial experience, the 850-word essay and character references. The board is interested in learning as much as possible about your personal qualities and background, as well as your professional experience and goals.

Requests for financial aid are confidential and are not considered by the board. TLC administrators consider requests for financial aid after a lawyer has been recommended for admission by the board. All financial aid at TLC is need-based.

All admissions decisions are made at the same time, not on a rolling basis. Decisions are made approximately two months prior to the course. Applicants will be notified via e-mail of the board’s decision (accepted, declined or placed on a waitlist).

Visit the Courses page for application deadlines, notification dates and detailed course information.

You can apply online by visiting Register Now.

You will be asked the following essay questions on the 2013 application to the Trial Lawyers College 3-Week Course: 

1. In 850 words or less, please tell us about yourself and why you want to attend the Trial Lawyers College 3-Week Course. For example, what life experiences have most shaped you? What is your greatest accomplishment; and what is your greatest loss? Please tell us about your dreams and your failures. We are not interested in the name of your law school, the clubs you belong to, your golf handicap, or your financial or social successes. We are interested in learning something about you, as a person. We want to know about your life goals as a trial lawyer, as well as what you hope to obtain from attending the Trial Lawyers College.

2. Do you need financial assistance? If yes, in 100 words or less, please explain your circumstances.


Application Tip #1:  Prepare your answers offline. 

In preparation for completing the application, you should prepare your answers offline. Here’s why: You cannot start your application on day 1 and finish it on day 2. You must complete and submit your application in a single web session, so please ensure that your Internet connection is stable and that your full attention is devoted to the task at hand.

Application Tip #2:  Respect the word limits and check your grammar and spelling.

We anticipate receiving many competitive applications so please make certain your application is thorough and well written.

Application Tip #3:  Apply early.

To avoid technical or any other last-minute problems, we recommend submitting your application at least 5 days prior to the deadlines, as follows:

  March 8: Application deadline for TLC 3-Week Course in July 2013 
  May 20: Application deadline for TLC 3-Week Course in September 2013

The cost of attendance includes tuition, room and board, course materials, and in some cases, shuttle transportation.

$1,699.00 for a Regional Seminar, Graduate Course or Advanced Course
$1,750.00 for the Death Penalty Seminar
$3,950.00 for the Trial Lawyers College 3-Week Course (Note: From 2006-2012, the cost was $3,750.00.)

For detailed information, visit the Courses page.

Financial aid is awarded based on need only. We use the information you supply on your registration form to determine how much support we will provide. If you request financial aid, the Registrar will contact you within 14 calendar days after you register for a course. Two types of awards are offered: scholarships and interest-free monthly payment plans.

The priority deadline is 28 calendar days prior to the course. If you miss the deadline, you may or may not receive financial aid.

No. There is no disadvantage whatsoever in the registration process for financial aid applicants. Requests for financial aid are confidential.

No. Award amounts will vary from course to course, based on changes in your financial circumstances and the availability of funds in TLC’s Scholarship Fund.

The following policy applies to all accredited TLC courses offered in 2012 and 2013.

The entire balance for a TLC course is due 90 days after the start date of the course, unless other arrangements have been made with the Registrar.

Tuition payments are non-transferable to a future course or to a substitute participant.

Cancellations must be e-mailed to TLC’s Registrar, Registrar@triallawyerscollege.com

Cancellations received at least 14 calendar days prior to the course will receive a full refund. Cancellations received 13 - 3 calendar days prior to the course will receive a 50% refund. We regret that no refunds can be made within 2 days of the start date of the course, or after the course begins.

Maybe.

To find out, send an e-mail to Registrar@triallawyerscollege.com with the course title and amount paid. Any credit is subject to the 2011 TLC Cancellation and Refund Policy in the confirmation notice you received from michele@triallawyerscollege.com.

Thunderhead Ranch is an isolated place of tranquility located in the bottom of a mountain valley. Out of respect for TLC’s unadorned “mode de vie,” you will be largely disconnected from the Internet during a course. First, cellular reception is not available on campus (although it is available on a hill located within a 5-minute walk from the dormitory and on the county road located just north of campus). Second, Internet access is not provided to students, except in emergency situations. To stay in touch with your family and colleagues, we recommend that you bring a long-distance phone card to make calls from land line telephones in the dormitory.

The TLC Board of Directors has established Thunderhead Ranch as an Internet Free Zone to ensure that you have the opportunity to fully enrich your intellect, health and relationships, without continuous distractions and interruptions. The policy is not intended to be punitive. Plan wisely and clear the decks before you arrive at Thunderhead Ranch. We hope you will honor our attempt to provide an environment that is Internet-free.

The TLC Alumni listserve is open only to graduates of the Trial Lawyers College 3-Week Course and the equivalent 7-Step Certification Program.

(Another listserve is open to attendees of Regional Seminars, Death Penalty Seminars, and Advanced Courses, as well as to graduates of the Trial Lawyers College 3-Week Course. To subscribe to this listserve, send a blank e-mail to Trialwarriorsforjustice-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com.)

SUBSCRIBE

To subscribe to the TLC Alumni listserve, send a blank e-mail to Alumni-Subscribe@triallawyerscollege.org.

APPROVAL

Once a request has been submitted, our Office Manager, Lori Schmidt, will verify that you are a graduate and approve your subscription to the listserve.

UNSUBSCRIBE

To unsubscribe from the TLC Alumni listserve, send a blank e-mail to Alumni-Unsubscribe@triallawyerscollege.org.

PURPOSE

The TLC Alumni listserve exists to facilitate communication within the TLC graduate community for the purpose of exchanging information related to the use of TLC methods in the practice of law. Posting to the TLC Alumni listserve is a benefit of graduating from the Trial Lawyers College.

STRUCTURE

The TLC Alumni listserve is an unmoderated, uncensored list. No posts to the list are approved by any person or entity before being sent to the list membership. (Replies to posts go to the original sender, not the entire list.) We strongly recommend that you limit your posts to legal matters, unless you specifically identify the post as [Off Topic] or [OT]. Advertising, promotion or endorsement of CLE programs not sponsored by the Trial Lawyers College is not permitted.

The Trialwarriorsforjustice listserve is open only to attendees of TLC's Regional Seminars, Death Penalty Seminars, and Advanced Courses, as well as to graduates of the Trial Lawyers College 3-Week Course.

SUBSCRIBE

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to Trialwarriorsforjustice-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

APPROVAL

Once a request has been submitted, our Office Manager, Lori Schmidt, will verify that you attended a TLC course and approve your subscription to the listserve.

UNSUBSCRIBE

To unsubscribe, send a blank e-mail to Trialwarriorsforjustice-Unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.

PURPOSE

The Trialwarriorsforjustice listserve exists to provide easy communication within our student body for the purpose of exchanging information related to the use of TLC methods in the practice of law. Posting to the Trialwarriorsforjustice listserve is a benefit of attending a Regional Seminar, Death Penalty Seminar, Advanced Course or the Trial Lawyers College 3-Week Course.

STRUCTURE

The Trialwarriorsforjustice listserve is an unmoderated, uncensored list. No posts to the list are approved by any person or entity before being sent to the list membership. (Replies to posts go to the entire list, not just the sender.) We strongly recommend that you limit your posts to legal matters, unless you specifically identify the post as [Off Topic] or [OT]. Advertising , promotion or endorsement of CLE programs not sponsored by the Trial Lawyers College is not permitted.