The course will cover the rules that govern the admission of evidence at trial. The rules are designed to control and distinguish relevant and reliable evidence from that which is not. Evidence rules vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but most state rules of evidence are generally consistent with the Federal Rules of Evidence, which will be the focus of the course. Specific areas of coverage include relevance, hearsay, hearsay exceptions, cross examination and impeachment of witnesses, opinion and expert testimony, privileges, and the "best evidence" doctrine.