Science for Lawyers

Science has been driven into the courtroom by recent Supreme Court rulings, an explosion in patent applications and rapid advances in science and technology. Today lawyers encounter scientists in all aspects of law, including patents, product liability, environmental torts, regulatory proceedings and criminal cases. Lawyers must be able to translate scientific evidence into testimony that jurors can understand. In UCR Extension’s unique and innovative program, Science for Lawyers, UCR scientists teach legal professionals the details of the scientific process as a tool for investigation. The first required class, Science 101, provides participants with a firm foundation in scientific principles. Ongoing workshops on specialized topics will offer detailed discussions in topics such as genetics, computer forensics, medicine, environmental science and neuroscience.

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Science 101: Introduction to Science for Lawyers
This course is the first in a series of specialized science courses for lawyers and serves as the prerequisite for future topics. Topics include scientific certainty based on statistical analysis and epidemiological studies, basic DNA and genetics, and brain development and neurobiological effects on human behavior. Participants earn 7 hours toward MCLE requirements.

Instructors
"In practically every part of law, science has touched it or will touch it." — Justice Thomas Hollenhorst	Alan McHughen, a UCR plant biotechnologist, is a molecular geneticist interested in crop improvement and environmental sustainability.