Apart from their assigned mod courses, 1L students may only enroll in courses offered as 1L electives. A complete list of these courses can be found on the 1L Elective Listings page. 1L students must use the 1L class number listed on the course description when enrolling.
294.03 sec. 001 - Listening and Communicating:Stagecraft for Lawyers (Spring 2026)
Instructor: George Abraham Higgins (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only)
View all teaching evaluations for this course - degree students only
Units: 1
Grading Designation: Credit Only
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
M 3:35 PM - 5:25 PM
Location: Law 134
From January 12, 2026
To March 09, 2026
Course End: March 09, 2026
Class Number: 33528
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 20
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 20
As of: 02/19 01:15 AM
Effective lawyers must have the ability to creatively use facts to tell compelling stories in a fast-paced, live environment. Improv is the art of storytelling from the known facts developed during a live performance. In this course, students will develop advocacy skills by learning the fundamentals of improvisational theatre in an intense, focused, fun, and safe setting. Improv strengthens core skills a lawyer must have: the ability to pay attention, listen, work with the given evidence, build on it, and tell compelling stories. Once those techniques are introduced, students will perform selected segments of a jury trial.
The assignments for the course will include readings from a criminal case file.
George Higgins was the “Distinguished Practitioner in Residence” at Cornell Law School. He taught Improv, Storytelling, and Trial Advocacy at Cornell for the past 4 years. He teaches as a volunteer in the Trial Advocacy Workshop at Stanford Law and teaches Beginning Improv at the Berkeley Repertory School of Theatre. He has over 28 years of trial experience as a public defender and Navy prosecutor. He performs in the Advanced Performance Lab at Berkeley Rep. He has also performed in the Bay Area Theatre Sports (BATS) summer program, Stone Soup improv and the (i)ncidentalists. He graduated from the University of Michigan law school.
Attendance at the first class is mandatory for all currently enrolled and waitlisted students; any currently enrolled or waitlisted students who are not present on the first day of class (without prior permission of the instructor) will be dropped. The instructor will continue to take attendance throughout the add/drop period and anyone who moves off the waitlist into the class must continue to attend or have prior permission of the instructor in order not to be dropped.
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Requirements Satisfaction:
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Submit teaching evaluations for this course between 09-MAR-26 and 14-MAR-26
Exam Notes: (SP) Presentations that count for a significant portion of the grade
(Subject to change by faculty member only through the first two weeks of instruction)
Course Category: Simulation Courses
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Readers:
No reader.
Books:
Instructor has indicated that no books will be assigned.