On Oct. 24, all first-year students at the University of Miami School of Law will participate in the Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions program, a cornerstone of the school's professionalism initiative. This immersive experience aims to prepare students for the challenges of a legal career by focusing on the importance of civility, engagement, and effective communication.
“The program provides a hands-on opportunity to work side-by-side with federal judges, practicing lawyers, and our wonderful faculty,” said Camila Souza, assistant dean of engagement & student leadership. “Students will step into the courtroom as advocates and jurors, sharpening their skills in deliberation and respectful dialogue while building professional connections that extend beyond the classroom.”
The program is a national initiative of the federal courts that brings students into courthouses for proceedings based on real-life situations. It is not a mock trial; instead, students actively participate as attorney advocates arguing a case and as jurors who deliberate on the arguments presented. Judges may even invite some students to sit on the bench and question the attorneys.
A program with distinguished roots
The initiative was created and first piloted in 2017 by Judges Robin L. Rosenberg and Beth Bloom, J.D. ’88, of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Rosenberg is now bringing the program, which has proven highly popular at Duke Law School, to the School of Law. The program at Duke was the first to involve law students, preparing them for a profession that must value civility, "whether the issues are straightforward or decidedly more complex."
"It is an honor to return to Miami Law to facilitate Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions, which provides a half-day interactive experience that models effective advocacy through civil discourse and civility,” said Andrew Loewenstein, MBA/J.D. ’09, a partner at Holland & Knight. “Mastering these skills is a hallmark of the most effective practitioners and is fundamental to the success of Miami Law’s next generation of legal leaders. I feel fortunate to help facilitate a dialogue that will give Miami Law’s 1L class a head start on developing thriving legal careers by focusing on one of the most important characteristics of effective lawyers: having a positive reputation in the legal community.”
The presiding judges—U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judges Shaniek Mills Maynard, Lauren F. Louis, and Bloom—emphasize civility and the rule of law. These values safeguard justice and guide the legal profession. In today’s climate, where dialogue can quickly fracture and polarization runs high, they are very keen to talk about learning how to engage respectfully in difficult conversations.
Why civility must be taught
According to Rosenberg, the U.S. legal system is founded on adversarial advocacy, which means interactions are not always cordial. She explains that this makes it "all the more important for us to cultivate a culture of civility and decorum that promotes clear, credible assertions free of the taint of personal invective and demeaning behavior."
While law school teaches critical communication skills through the Socratic method and legal writing, civility must often be explicitly taught and emphasized. The pressures that lawyers face—from client demands to court deadlines—can mount, triggering behavior that is "outright uncivil." In these stressful moments, communication skills can evaporate. The program's goal is to reinforce these skills with a systemic "ethos of cordial, respectful engagement," which is consistently the most effective form of persuasion and advocacy.
“We are excited to present the Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions program to the 1L class,” said Bloom. “The students will have a unique opportunity to see that being a great lawyer is about much more than mastering the law. It’s about how you communicate, how you listen, and how you advocate with respect. This program helps you practice those civil discourse skills and shows that resolving conflict starts with understanding different viewpoints, not just arguing your side.”
