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NKU Chase Announces New Certificate Programs in Trial Advocacy and Transactional Law
NKU Chase to Offer Two New Certificate Programs
NKU Chase to Offer Two New Certificate Programs

Jun 23, 2009 - Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law announced today the creation of two new certificate programs - a Certificate in Advocacy and a Certificate in Transactional Law.

The certificate programs are tied to Chase's two Centers of Excellence, the Center for Excellence in Advocacy and the Transactional Law Practice Center. The Centers provide Chase students with training in practice skills, interaction with practicing attorneys and skills-based programming. They are designed to make the transition from law study to law practice as seamless as possible.

"Knowing the law is not enough," said Professor Rick Bales, director of the Chase Center for Excellence in Advocacy. "A successful attorney must know also how to practice the law to effectively promote a client's interests and advance justice."

Students must complete a designated course of study, which includes both classroom instruction and real-world components, to earn each certificate. The courses, externships and pro bono experiences are designed to provide Chase students with the opportunity to focus their skills on the type of law practice they intend to pursue, and to demonstrate to prospective legal employers that they are practice-ready on the day they graduate from law school.

"Students interested in transactional law will learn not only the law but the skills that are required to be a transactional attorney in today's fast-paced legal field," said Sherry Porter, director of the Chase Transactional Law Practice Center.

"The Advocacy Center offers students a chance to focus their legal studies in advocacy and hone their litigation skills," said Michele Rigdon, student director for the Center for Excellence in Advocacy. "The certificates in advocacy and transactional law will give Chase graduates a definite competitive edge."

NKU Chase is one of only a handful of law schools in the nation to offer certificate programs in Advocacy or Transactional Law.