Law School expands
Published May 2, 2008
The MU School of Law isn’t objecting to an endowment that will benefit the expansion of their trial practice program.
Thomas Deacy, a graduate of the law school, gave $100,000 to create the Thomas E. Deacy Jr. Practice Endowment, according to an MU news release.
James Devine, professor of law and trial practice, said the money would go to expanding MU’s current trial practice program, and to offer an advanced trial practice course. He also said, though it was uncertain at this point, the advanced class would involve the opportunity to work with an experienced lawyer.
“Students will likely be able to work with a distinguished practitioner to hone their trial practice skills,” he said.
Laura Elsbury, a student who has been involved in the program, said she thought the money would be put to good use.
“It’s a very popular class and it’s very hard to get into,” she said. “If they were able to expand the program they’d be able to include more students and that would be a plus.”
Devine said trial practice was a simulation of what students would experience in a courtroom setting. He said there were several benefits to a trial practice course.
“There is the obvious benefit,” he said. “You don’t get to do trial law until you’re out of law school and licensed to practice law. This gives you a chance to experience trial law in a school setting.”
Elsbury said that the benefits she received from the trial practice program were immeasurable.
“Coming into law school, I would’ve told you that I didn’t want to litigate,” she said. “Having that experience showed me I was wrong.”
Elsbury said the opposite could also be true for students, some who think they want to be litigators might find they don’t want to be. Devine also said the program helped provide a more hands-on approach.
“We don’t really have a clinical trial advocacy program,” he said. “This is as close as we can get to a clinical rotation for trial lawyers.”
Devine said the trial program could help encourage prospective students to join MU’s law school.
“Trial practice and a trial practice program are always selling points for your law school,” he said.
Elsbury said the trial practice program wasn’t a factor in her decision to attend MU’s law school, but she could see where it would be for some people, and how the prospect of an advanced trial practice course could contribute to that.
“People who know they want to litigate would be excited for the opportunity to participate in an advanced program,” she said. “It could potentially be a very significant draw for people to choose Mizzou.”
Devine stated in an e-mail that they expect to offer the advanced course within the next couple of years.
According to his profile on the Web site of Deacy & Deacy, LLP, Deacy attended the MU School of Law in 1940 and has passed the Bar in both Missouri and Illinois. He is currently a partner at Deacy & Deacy, LLP.