Law School Public Interest Programs - Public Interest Clinics
Clinical Legal Studies Program - Albany Law School's Clinical Legal Studies Program includes six specialty law projects: Domestic Violence, Litigation, Health Law, Civil Rights & Disabilities, Low Income Taxpayer and Securities Arbitration that combine classroom education with hands-on legal experience while providing a free public service to the abused, discriminated against and disadvantaged in the community. Legal presentation by law students under supervision by faculty attorneys is provided to the victims of domestic violence, disabled children denied access to appropriate health care or education, HIV/AIDS infected parents planning for their children's future, the unemployed and low income taxpayers. Albany Law School's Clinical Program consists of in-house projects, field placement programs, and one-hour practicum courses. A combined maximum of 12 credit hours may be selected from Clinical courses
.American University Washington College of Law
Civil Practice Clinic (CPC) A one semester clinic where second- and third-year students represent low-income clients in such areas as bankruptcy, consumer, family law, health, housing, public benefits and special education. The Clinical web site is: http://www.wcl.american.edu/clinical/
Community and Economic Development Law Clinic (CEDLC) Provides transactional legal services for client groups engaged in different kinds of neighborhood-based community development.
Criminal Justice Clinic The Criminal Justice Clinic has been in existence for over twenty-five years, making it the law school's oldest clinic. Most students spend one semester defending juvenile and criminal cases in Montgomery County, Maryland and one semester prosecuting cases in Maryland.
DC Law Students in Court Clinic Offers an opportunity to obtain litigation experience in landlord-tenant and small claims cases in the D.C. Superior Court.
Disability Rights Law Clinic The DRLC is a two-semester clinic in which law students, under faculty supervision, represent clients in a variety of substantive areas and venues related to disability law and people with disabilities (both mental and physical).
Domestic Violence Clinic Student attorneys spend one semester representing individual victims of domestic violence seeking Civil Protection Orders, and another semester prosecuting domestic violence crimes at the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic Prepares students to be effective and thoughtful practitioners through direct experience in this rapidly evolving area. Through its activities, the Clinic strives to promote the public interest in copyright, patent, trademark and related fields.
Immigrant Justice Clinic The Immigrant Justice Clinic (IJC) provides representation on a broad range of cases involving immigrant communities in the D.C. area. These include cases of exploited low-wage immigrant workers (e.g., domestic workers, restaurant workers, and day laborers), including trafficked individuals, asylum and non-asylum immigration cases, and language rights cases.
International Human Rights Law Clinic Offers students the opportunity to represent individuals, families or organizations alleging violations of recognized or developing human rights norms before international and domestic judicial bodies.
Janet R. Spragens Federal Tax Clinic Teaches students the skills involved in representing low income clients who have commercial/business controversies. The clinic also seeks to provide legal assistance to a class of individuals caught up in a complex administrative and judicial system who otherwise would be unrepresented.
Women and the Law Clinic Students provide representation in the District of Columbia in domestic violence, child neglect, and support cases, as well as any legal matters that assist the client in addressing the underlying problems that brought her into the legal system.
None
Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Barry University School of Law
Civil Litigation Clinic
This civil clinical course allows students the opportunity to work as practicing lawyers representing actual clients at the Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau (LAB), a legal services office founded by Boston College law students in 1968. Pursuant to the Massachusetts student practice rule (SJC 3:03), students are certified to represent clients in every aspect of litigation, including appearing in court and at federal and state administrative hearings (e.g., Social Security Administration, Division of Unemployment Assistance, and Department of Transitional Assistance). Students advise and represent clients with a variety of legal problems, including divorce and custody proceedings, landlord-tenant disputes, Social Security disability appeals, and consumer complaints. Students are responsible for their own cases and have the opportunity to plan and conduct every phase of civil litigation, from initial client interviews, through formulating a legal strategy, to counseling clients, conducting pretrial discovery and motion hearings, engaging in settlement negotiations, drafting pleadings, up to and including trials and administrative hearings, as well as drafting and arguing appeals.
Students are closely supervised by clinical faculty. Supervisors sit in on most meetings with clients, assist in the preparation for client meetings, negotiations, and court appearances, and they accompany their students to court. Supervisors provide thorough feedback to students about their work at all stages in order to help students build on their skills and learn from their experiences, including written feedback at both mid-semester and end of term. In addition to individual supervision, students participate in a weekly seminar where issues related to students' actual cases are examined. The practical, legal and ethical issues of lawyering are explored in detail through discussion, simulations, and review of videotaped portions of students' meetings with their clients.
The Legal Assistance Bureau is located only 15 minutes from the law school, in Waltham. Its faculty consists of four supervising attorneys and a clinical social worker. Additional staff includes an intake worker, and a fiscal manager. Students are provided with comfortable individual workspace and voicemail, conference rooms, a computer center, access to Lexis, Westlaw, a database of approved pleadings, and a well-developed office library.
Community Enterprise ClinicThis course introduces students to transactional legal work on behalf of low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs, small businesses, and non-profit organizations. The course includes fieldwork and a weekly seminar. The fieldwork is based at the Law School's clinical office known as the Legal Assistance Bureau in Waltham, four miles form the Law School. The seminar is held at the Law School.
Students are assigned to work in pairs with entrepreneurs who have business-related legal needs and/or a desire to create a formal business structure or entity; with emerging, community-based small businesses facing corporate, employment or similar legal issues; and with non-profit organizations or groups seeking to establish a tax-exempt organization. For fieldwork purposes, students are assigned seven office hours per week at the clinic. Students can expect to spend an additional ten to twelve hours per week, on average, on their client representation work. The fieldwork is complemented by a weekly seminar. The seminar will address substantive law surrounding small businesses and entrepreneurship, and ethical issues encountered in corporate and non-profit practice.
Criminal Justice ClinicThe Criminal Justice Clinic is a unique and exciting program, which examines the criminal justice system from the perspective of both defense attorneys and prosecutors. The Clinic is made up of two programs: BC Law Prosecution Program and BC Defenders. BC Defenders represent indigent clients in District Court, while student prosecutors prosecute cases under the auspices of a District Attorney's Office. Each side meets separately once a week to focus more intently on the skills particular to each profession and to discuss issues which students confront during the term. Both sides also meet in class together once a week to explore systemic issues and practical problems and to compare their experiences, analyses, and conclusions with insights gathered by students practicing on the opposite side.
Students enrolled in the course will experience, participate in, and evaluate the local criminal justice system. Through practice in a district court, combined with one-on-one supervision, class exercises, readings and discussion, students have the opportunity to closely and critically examine the functioning of the criminal justice system and measure it against conceptions of fairness. Students will reflect on their actions in the criminal justice system (with special attention paid to the attorney-client relationship and the prosecution function), and will consider the ethical and moral issues which inevitably arise in criminal casework. Students examine these and other criminal justice issues while learning the habits of mind and behavior necessary to function effectively in that system.
BC DefendersThe BC Defenders pick up cases at arraignment, where they interview their clients for the first time and present bail arguments before a judge. Students then begin to prepare their cases, researching the legal issues, investigating the facts, and helping the client with services whenever possible. A pre-trial hearing is held usually within the first semester to finalize discovery and determine if the case can be resolved. If the case is not resolved then, the case is scheduled for jury trial during the second semester. To prepare for jury trials, students role-play their cases in the form of mock trials with group participation. Students handle misdemeanors and those felonies for which district court jurisdiction exists, such as charges of assault, larcenies, and drug offenses. Students are responsible for their own cases and are closely supervised, both in court and out of court, by the defense supervisor. Second semester is a jury trial seminar where students complete their cases. Each case scheduled for jury trial will be performed in class as a mock trial at least once, and all students will participate as witnesses, prosecutors, jurors and critiquers.
BC Law Prosecution ProgramOne of the central challenges that students will face in this clinic will be to understand and articulate the primary task of a prosecutor and how our notions (both conscious and unconscious) of authority, role, boundary, and task affect the way lawyers take up their role. Students will join a group of assistant district attorneys in a local District Attorney's Office and engage in the demanding role of prosecutor in a highly challenging local criminal justice system. Each student will become an active participant in the criminal justice system, receiving several cases during the semester, handling various charges, and appearing numerous times in an adult court session. Students are responsible for their own cases and are closely supervised, both in court and out of court.
Housing Law ClinicThis course introduces students to the pervasive problem of the threat of housing loss and homelessness in our cities. It is a clinical course in which students will litigate cases on behalf of low-income clients who are at risk of becoming homeless if they lose their current housing. Most are facing eviction or the loss of government housing subsidies that they need in order to remain housed. The course includes fieldwork and a weekly seminar. The fieldwork is based at the Law School's civil clinical office known as the Legal Assistance Bureau in Waltham, 15 minutes from the Law School. The seminar will be held at the Law School.
Students who enroll in this course will be certified to practice law in Massachusetts under close clinical supervision. They will advise and represent families or individuals who are facing or experiencing having no place to live. Students can expect to defend eviction actions in local District Courts and Boston Housing Court; to represent individuals before local Housing Authorities in an effort to obtain affordable housing for them; to work with community organizations seeking to increase the supply of affordable housing; and, on occasion, to assist in affirmative litigation to correct illegal conditions in low-incoming housing. Students will be trained in essential lawyering skills with an emphasis on trial advocacy techniques.
The fieldwork is complemented by a weekly seminar. The seminar will cover trial advocacy skills, exploration of the social and political underpinnings of homelessness, and ethical issues encountered in public interest practice.
Immigration Law ClinicStudents who take Immigration Law, or who took the course in the previous year, will have the opportunity to do clinical work for two extra pass/fail credits in the Fall semester through the Immigration Law Clinic. Clinical opportunities will include working with pro-bono attorneys on political asylum cases in conjunction with the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR); interviewing, counseling, and representing clients in Detention Facilities and Immigration Court, and working on various types of national and regional "impact" litigation, especially regarding detention policies. Students will be able to choose the type of work which most interests them and will be specially trained and supervised.
Advanced Immigration Law ClinicThe class is scheduled to meet two hours per week as a seminar. During the first hour of class students will examine and discuss a variety of advanced topics in U.S. Immigration and Deportation law. The focus will primarily be on refugee law, asylum and deportation, although these topics necessarily involve other procedural issues, criminal law, constitutional law, and statutory construction. The faculty will be the primary presenters in the first hour. However, as the class progresses, students will also be asked to present in class on selected topics that will general class discussion. In the clinic, each student will be working with clients on immigration matters. Students may choose from a variety of projects. Some will go to detention centers to give "Know Your Rights Presentations" and interview and counsel clients. Others will conduct intake of possible new clients. Others may represent clients on asylum cases. Some may work on litigation and amicus briefs.
Juvenile Rights Advocacy Project ClinicThe Juvenile Rights Advocacy Project will provide a full year clinic to students either currently enrolled in Juvenile Justice Seminar or who have completed Juvenile Justice Seminar. Students will apply their education in juvenile justice and child advocacy to problem areas of juvenile representation and policy. Students will primarily represent girls in the Massachusetts justice system across the full-range of their legal needs. Issues include delinquency, post-disposition administrative advocacy, special education, personal injury, status offenses, child abuse and neglect, and public benefits. In addition, students work as guardians-ad-litem for girls in the status offender system with a focus on education law. Drawing on the individual case experience, students work on policy development for girls in the system. Students are involved in data collection, research and report writing and dissemination, helping to develop models that work for system involved girls. Students also provide legal education to high school students at Brighton High School. The JRAP operates in an interdisciplinary manner in collaboration with Boston College counseling psychology graduate students. Student will meet every week to discuss advanced topics in juvenile law as they relate to the work of the Juvenile Rights Advocacy Project.
Women and the Law Clinic"Women and the Law Clinic" is a clinical and theoretical course. The course is part of the Legal Assistance Bureau (LAB), located in Waltham. Students will attend two weekly class meetings. Students will also be assigned two to three domestic cases involving divorce, custody, child support, spousal support, visitation, restraining orders, etc. The class meetings will allow the class to explore the theoretical materials and appellate cases in the context of actual client service. It will also expose students to the invisible ways in which the law structures women's experiences. Students will be required each week to have seven scheduled office hours at the LAB, in addition to scheduled class time. At the end of the semester, the students will be required to submit a 10-12-page paper analyzing a topic from the course in terms of their clinical experience.
For more information about BC Law’s clinical programs, please visit: www.bc.edu/schools/law/services/academic/programs/clinical.
Boston University School of Law
Civil Litigation Clinic – Students work out of the offices of Greater Boston Legal Services and learn the importance of providing strong representation to all who need it, regardless of economic means. Students handle their own case loads, under the supervision of 6 full-time clinical law faculty members, in the areas of divorce and child custody, housing and eviction, disability, unemployment and immigration. http://www.bu.edu/law/prospective/jd/clinics/civil.html
Criminal Trial Advocacy – Students gain experience as either defense or prosecuting attorneys in Boston Municipal Court, Boston Juvenile Court, and Quincy District Court. Students conduct investigations to formulate trial strategy, file appropriate pre-trial motions, participate in plea bargaining, try cases before judges, and make sentencing arguments. http://www.bu.edu/law/prospective/jd/clinics/criminal.html
Legislation Clinic – Students obtain hands-on experience drafting legislation and applying legal skills to the legislative process. These programs allow students to develop skills that can be invaluable to a public interest attorney. Student drafters work with state senators and representatives, mayors, city councils, administrative agencies, and public interest groups to create legislative solutions to problems. Once you know how to draft legislation, you could preserve conservation land, ensure the reproductive rights of women, secure funding for a school district, establish a precedent regarding the rights to same-sex couples to adopt, to name a few. http://www.bu.edu/law/prospective/jd/clinics/legislation.html
Wrongful Conviction Clinic– Students screen prisoner applications for assistance from the New England Innocence Project.
Asylum and Human Rights Clinic – Students represent asylum, VAWA, U and T visa clients in administrative hearing and before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (Immigration Court).
Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School
- Community-based Legal Research Seminar: Students work with a community service organization in developing a product related to access to legal services such as brochures, program development or grant proposals, presentations, white papers, etc. Professor James Backman, backmanj@lawgate.byu.edu, (801) 422-2221.
- LawHelp Child Advocacy Program: Students shadow attorneys from the Guardian Ad Litem, Public Defender, and Attorney General offices, sit in court with a Juvenile Court Judge, and tour local service providers. Professor Susan Griffith, griffiths@lawgate.byu.edu, (801) 422-3947.
- LawHelp Elder Law Program: Students meet with elderly clients on a weekly basis at local senior citizen centers. Students have the opportunity to draft simple wills, medical directives, and deeds on behalf of elderly clients. Professor Susan Griffith, griffiths@lawgate.byu.edu, (801) 422-3947.
Students have the opportunity to work under the direction of a licensed attorney in order to help pro se clients complete their divorce paperwork and answer questions about the divorce process.
Brooklyn Law School’s program includes the following public interest clinics:
- Brooklyn Law Incubator & Policy (BLIP) Clinic
- Capital Defender and Federal Habeas Clinic
- Community Development Clinic
- Consumer Counseling and Bankruptcy Clinic
- Corporate and Real Estate Clinic
- Criminal Appeals – Manhattan D.A. Clinic
- Criminal Appeals – Legal Aid Society
- Employment Law Clinic
- Federal Litigation Clinic: NYC Law Department
- Health Law Practice and Policy Internship
- Mediation Clinic
- Prosecutors Clinic – Brooklyn District Attorney
- Prosecutors Clinic – U.S. Attorney, EDNY
- Safe Harbor Project (Immigration)
- Investors’ Rights Clinic
- Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Transactional Law Clinic
California Western School of Law
The California Innocence Project. The California Innocence Project is a two term course in which law students work alongside practicing criminal defense lawyers to seek the release of wrongfully convicted prisoners in the State of California. Law students investigate cases where there is strong evidence of innocence, research the law pertaining to the cases, and write briefs and post-conviction petitions. The court includes two 1 ˝ hour classroom sessions each week and the students will receive three credits for each term.
Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
Capital Legal Clinic https://culsnet.law.capital.edu/LegalClinic/LegalClinic.asp
Family Advocacy Clinic https://culsnet.law.capital.edu/LegalClinic/FamilyAdvocacyClinic.asp
Mediation Clinic https://culsnet.law.capital.edu/LegalClinic/MediationClinic.asp
Case Western Reserve University Law School
Criminal Justice Clinic
Community Development Clinic
Civil Litigation and Mediation Clinic
Health Law Clinic
Urban Development Lab
Catholic University of America School of Law
Advocacy for the Elderly: Advocacy for the Elderly is one of the first law school clinics developed specifically to provide evening-division students with in-depth, practical legal training through direct representation of elderly clients. Advocacy for the Elderly remains one of the few representational law school clinics in the country designed to accommodate the schedules and particular needs of part-time students, who typically balance their law school careers with full-time employment and family commitments. All case conferences and classes are scheduled during evening hours. Students usually meet with clients during evening or weekend hours. The Advocacy for the Elderly clinic serves the legal needs of low-income elderly residents of the District of Columbia. Students represent clients before the courts and administrative agencies in a wide variety of civil, family, and probate matters. In addition, students represent veterans from around the country before the United States Court of Veterans Appeals.
Criminal Prosecution Clinic: The Criminal Prosecution Clinic is a four-credit, one-semester course that provides students with a rigorous and intensive exposure to criminal prosecution practice through a combination of actual trial practice and classroom work. Students are assigned to work in either a State’s Attorney’s Office in Maryland, where they prosecute criminal cases in the circuit and district courts.
D.C. Law Students in Court: This year-long clinical program allows students to learn litigation skills while representing indigent clients in D.C. Superior Court. Students may choose between the civil and criminal divisions of the program. This clinic provides the unique opportunity to work with students from four other area law schools that also participate in Law Students in Court. Both civil and criminal divisions conduct a weekly, two-hour long seminar on trial advocacy skills with occasional guest speakers from the legal field. These seminars are similar to trial practice classes in that evidence and trial practice strategy are the focus, and mock trials are performed. Students in the Civil Division practice primarily in the landlord-tenant and small claims branches of the Superior Court. Students in the criminal division defend indigent adults and minors charged with misdemeanor crimes such as assault, theft, or drug and weapons possession.
Families and the Law Clinic: The Families and the Law Clinic is designed to help students develop lawyering skills while focusing on cases involving domestic violence and family law issues. Law students enrolled in Families and the Law Clinic assist victims of domestic violence in obtaining temporary and permanent restraining orders, as well as representing domestic violence clients in general domestic relations litigation. Clinic cases include issues such as divorce, custody, visitation, property distribution, and child support.
General Practice Clinic: The General Practice Clinic is a general practice law office that is designed to serve the legal needs of financially eligible District of Columbia residents. The caseload of the clinic encompasses the full range of civil law matters, including housing, consumer, family, probate, bankruptcy, and administrative law matters. Given the diverse array of cases handled by the General Practice Clinic, students have the opportunity to learn the personal and professional skills involved in providing complete and client-centered representation.
Innocence Project Clinic: The Innocence Project Clinic offers students the opportunity to learn and to develop a wide range of lawyering skills, while providing direct assistance to inmates who have been convicted of violent crimes and sentenced to long jail sentences or to death, but who assert that they are actually innocent of the crimes for which they have been convicted. The Clinic is part of a national network of programs dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through vigorous reinvestigation of the facts surrounding the crimes for which they were convicted and to reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.
Chapman University School of Law
Claremont Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence - the Claremont Institute Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence provides students with an opportunity to assist with the Center's ongoing trial and appellate litigation. Over the past four years, numerous students have participated in the program, conducting research, drafting discovery requests, preparing draft summary judgment motions and appellate briefs, attending hearings, and even preparing briefs for filing with the Supreme Court of the United States in such landmark cases as Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (the Ohio school vouchers case) and Grutter v. Bollinger (the Michigan affirmative action cases).
Elder Law Clinic - Students work for elderly clients on issues such as wills, mortgages and government benefits.
Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic - Students interested in appellate work participate in the Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic. Students learn the fine art of appealing decisions of lower courts by writing briefs and presenting oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The clinic pairs students with immigrants with appeals pending before the 9th Circuit Court. The cases are selected from the court's pro bono program.
Tax Law Clinic - Law students who have completed prerequisite tax law courses are eligible to represent actual taxpayers under the supervision of attorney-professors. If matters cannot be resolved before trial, students may represent clients before a judge in U.S. Tax Court. The clinic not only provides a valuable service to disadvantaged taxpayers, it teaches students valuable negotiation and interviewing skills and helps the IRS in more efficient resolution of tax controversies.
CharlotteLaw currently offers five recurring clinics. These are:
- Business Law
This clinic targets entrepreneurs and small business owners that have insufficient resources to obtain legal counsel. Legal assistance includes basic business formation, contract review, service agreements for the business, purchase and lease agreements, and/or employment contracts (employee/ independent contractor). - Family Advocacy
This clinic provides holistic representation to indigent parents in the immediate community of the law school who have lost custody of their children due to allegations of abuse, neglect or dependency. - Unemployment Insurance Benefits
This clinic represents individuals seeking assistance in pursuing their rights to unemployment benefits through the North Carolina Employment Security Commission. - Civil Rights
This new clinic will represent clients (both individuals and non-profits) in identifying and resolving violations of civil rights. - Civil Practice
This new clinic will represent clients, or wait-listed clients, from the Neighborhood Advocacy Center, NC Legal Aid, and Legal Services of Southern Piedmont. It will largely focus on housing, domestic violence, child support, and government benefit issues.
- Immigration Law
- Wrongful Convictions
- Wills
- Bankruptcy
City University of New York Law at Queens College
Criminal Defenders Clinic
Mediation Clinic
Immigration & Refugee Rights Clinic
Elder Law Clinic
Economic Development Clinic
International Women’s Human Rights Clinic
Economic Justice Clinic
Heath Law Concentration
Equality Concentration
Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
Columbia University School of Law
Child Advocacy Clinic (CAC)
Clinical Seminar in Law and the Arts
Environmental Law Clinic
Mediation Clinic
Non-Profit Organizations/Small Business Clinic
Prisoners and Families Clinic
The Human Rights Clinic
Asylum and Convention Against Torture Appellate Clinic
Capital Punishment Clinic: Post-Conviction Litigation
Capital Trial Clinic I and II
Criminal Defense Trial Clinic
Full-Term Externship
Government Benefits Clinic 1 or 3
Government Benefits Clinic/Neighborhood Legal Services Externship 1 or 3
International War Crimes Research Clinic
Prosecution Trial Clinic
Public Interest Clinic 1
Public Interest Clinic 2
Public Interest Clinic 3
Women and the Law Clinic 1 or 3
Creighton University School of Law
The Civil Law Clinicoffers free legal assistance on civil matters to low-income residents of Douglas County, Nebraska. The clinic operates as a small law firm, staffed by law students under the supervision of the Clinic Director, Professor Catherine Mahern, Connie Kearney Chair in Clinical Legal Education
.The Community Economic Development (CED) Clinic is committed to encouraging economic growth and stability within under-served communities in Nebraska, while providing third-year law students a clinical experience. The focus of the CED Clinic is on Non-Profit Organizations, Micro-Enterprise Business and Community Asset Protection. The Clinic is run by Milo Alexander.
DePaul University College of Law
All of the clinics at the College of Law are public service. Community-based service learning has a long tradition at DePaul University, and the College of Law exemplifies this practice through its clinical programs. Under faculty supervision and guidance, students sharpen their skills and knowledge while engaging in legal practice outside the formal classroom setting. They earn academic credit while concentrating on the problems faced by clients in seven distinct areas: Asylum/Immigration, Civil Rights, Criminal Appeals, Death Penalty, Family Law, Poverty Law and Technology/Intellectual Property. Clinics are open to law students starting their second year, with programs lasting either one semester or an entire academic year. Please visit the Clinic website for more information: http://www.law.depaul.edu/clinical_programs/
Drake University School of Law
Neal and Bea Smith Legal Clinic
Advanced Criminal Defense Clinic-Trial
Advanced Criminal Defense Clinic-Appellate
Children's Rights Clinic
Criminal Law Clinic
Elder Law Clinic
General Civil Practice Clinic
First Year Trial Practicum
Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law
Drexel Law currently has four clinics: The Civil Litigation Field Clinic, The Criminal Litigation Field Clinic, The Public Health and Environmental Law Field Clinic, and The Appellate Litigation Clinic (in-house).
AIDS Legal Assistance Project
Children's Education Law Project
Clinic for the Special Court for Sierra Leone
Community Enterprise Clinic
Death Penalty Clinic
Duquesne University School of Law
Juvenile Justice Mediation Clinic
Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic
Emory University School of Law
Barton Child Law and Policy Center: Policy and Legislative Clinics
Juvenile Defender Clinic
International Humanitarian Law Clinic
Turner Environmental Law Clinic
Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
The law school sponsors a Mediation Clinic where students provide hands-on mediation services to litigants in the district court. The law school also offers a Family Violence Clinic where students interview, advise and represent clients in court when necessary and an Elder Law Clinic where students provide legal counsel to low-income, elderly clients with diverse legal needs. All student work is performed under the direction of a clinical professor.
Florida A&M University College of Law
The law school offers live client clinics in which the students may participate. These clinics include: family law, consumer law, immigrant rights, housing rights, disability & benefits, and Caribbean law. See http://www.fcsl.edu/clinic/live-client-clinicsand http://www.fcsl.edu/clinic/caribbean-law-clinic for information about these clinics.
Florida International University College of Law
Immigration and Human Rights Clinic
Florida State University College of Law
Children's Advocacy Clinic - The Children’s Advocacy Clinic represents children in foster care, juvenile delinquency, health care, special education, disability, social security and criminal law cases. The Children’s Advocacy Clinic, directed by Clinical Professor Paolo Annino, is nationally and internationally recognized for its advocacy on behalf of children.
Family Law Clinic - The Family Law Clinic serves low income clients with a wide range of family law issues, including dissolution of marriage, custody, visitation, injunctions against violence, paternity, modifications and contempt of court. Clinical Professor Ruth Stone directs the activities of the Family Law Clinic.
Fordham University School of Law
Community Economic Development Clinic
Criminal Defense Clinic
Family Advocacy Clinic
Federal Litigation Clinic
Fundamental Lawyering Skills
George Mason University School of Law
George Washington University Law School
- Civil Litigation
- Consumer Mediation
- Domestic Violence Litigation
- Domestic Violence Emergency Department
- Environmental Law
- Federal, Criminal, and Appellate
- Health Law Rights
- Immigration
- Law Students in Court
- Project for Older Prisoners
- Public Justice Advocacy
- Small Business/Community Economic Development
- Vaccine Injury
Georgetown University Law Center
Appellate Litigation Clinic www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/al
Center for Applied Legal Studies www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/cals
Criminal Justice Clinic www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/cjc
DC Law Students in Court www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/lsic
DC Street Law Program www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/dcstreet
Domestic Violence Clinic www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/sdc
Family Advocacy Clinic
Federal Legislation Clinic www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/flc
Harrison Institute for Public Law, Housing and Community Development Clinic www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/hi/housing.html
Harrison Institute for Public Law, Policy Clinic www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/hi/policy.html
Institute for Public Representation www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/ipr
International Women's Human Rights Clinic www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/iwhrc
Juvenile Justice Clinic www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/jjc
Georgia State University College of Law
Golden Gate University School of Law
Environmental Law & Justice Clinic (ELJC): The Clinic focuses on addressing environmental justice issues. Students work on active litigation in court, make presentations at administrative proceedings, and carry out the clinic's community education activities.
Women's Employment Rights Clinic (WERC): Students provide advice, counseling, and legal representation to low-income workers in areas including: sex and race discrimination and harassment, wage and hour claims, unemployment benefits, pregnancy disability, and family leave.
Pro Bono Tax Clinic: Students provide advice, counseling, and legal representation to low-income individuals in certain tax disputes with the California Board of Equalization. This course is offered through the LL.M. Tax program and JD students must obtain pre-approval from the program director.
Gonzaga University School of Law
Domestic Violence/Family Law
Elder Law
General Public Interest Practice
Litigation Support
Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
Hamline University School of Law
Mediation Clinic
Child Advocacy
Education Law Clinic
Employment Discrimination Mediation Representation Clinic
Innocence Clinic
Small Business/Non-profit Clinic
State Public Defender Clinic
Student Director Clinic
For more information, go to http://law.hamline.edu/clinics/clinical-programs.html
Each academic year, Harvard Law School offers more than 50 courses with clinical components. The Law School supports and staffs 10 in-house specifically for the practice education of second- and third-year law students.
HLS Clinics include:
- Criminal Justice Institute - http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/clinical/cji/
- Cyberlaw Clinic at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society - http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/clinical
- Environmental Law Clinic - http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/elp/
- Government Lawyering and International Criminal Tribunal Program
- Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic - http://www.asylumclinic.org/
- Harvard Legal Aid Bureau - http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hlab/
- International Human Rights Program - http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/hrp/ihrc.html
- Negotiation and Mediation Clinic - http://www.pon.harvard.edu/education/HNCP.php
- Supreme Court Clinic
- WilmerHale Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School (LSC) - http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/clinical/lsc/
Hofstra University School of Law
Child Advocacy Clinic
Child Advocacy Clinic students learn the facets of client advocacy through the challenging experience of representing children in abuse and neglect cases, and special immigrant juvenile matters. Students advocate in New York City and Nassau Family Courts on behalf of children in cases where the allegations range from physical and sexual abuse to educational neglect, abandonment and inadequate supervision. In court, Clinic students advocate vigorously for their clients in all aspects of the practice, including picking up cases at arraignment, advocating at hearings and trials, engaging in motion practice and formulating dispositional plans. Outside of court, students maintain regular contact with their clients, investigate the factual allegations of neglect or abuse involved on their court cases, formulate realistic and compassionate plans for clients and their families, and work closely with mental health professionals, caseworkers, teachers and foster parents to ensure their clients’ needs are being met.
Community and Economic Development Clinic
Students in the Community and Economic Development Clinic provide transactional (non-litigation) assistance to nonprofits, community-based organizations and micro-enterprises in low-income communities in and around Nassau County, with a preference for clients that contribute to social and economic justice. Clients include newly-forming organizations requiring start-up assistance and more mature entities that need help in connection with the more complex issues arising from organizational success and growth. The Clinic’s work includes: counseling concerning choice-of-entity decisions, incorporation, application for recognition of tax-exempt status, drafting/review of contracts, zoning matters, negotiations, and support for community organizing, legal research, community education and other needs of our clients. Students also examine the special ethical issues that are present in group and entity representation.
Criminal Justice Clinic
Students in the Criminal Justice Clinic represent indigent clients charged with misdemeanors in Nassau County District Court and Queens County Criminal Court. Clinic interns provide the entire range of legal representation, from initial interview to sentencing. Court room advocacy includes arraignments, bail arguments, bench conferences, evidentiary hearings, oral arguments on motions, bench and jury trials, plea dispositions and sentencings. Lawyering skills practiced outside the court room include interviewing, counseling, fact and crime scene investigation, negotiation with assistant district attorneys, and researching and drafting pleadings, motions and other memoranda. Students may also represent clients in related proceedings including parole revocation, school suspension, and Department of Motor Vehicle hearings where these hearings arise from the facts of the criminal case.
Immigrant Justice Clinic
The Immigrant Justice Clinic focuses on the intersection of criminal and immigration law. Students will defend individual immigrants in removal (deportation) proceedings. In addition, students will represent immigrant community organizations on affirmative litigation and advocacy projects aimed at addressing policing practices that disproportionately and unjustifiably target immigrant populations. Students will gain substantive knowledge in both criminal and immigration law. We will also focus on exploring the various litigation and non-litigation advocacy strategies that all community lawyers should have at their disposal. Toward this end, students will develop significant litigation skills, such as brief writing, examination of witnesses, and oral argument, and non-litigation skills, such as negotiation, media work, and legislative advocacy.
Housing Rights Clinic
In the Housing Rights Clinic, students handle a wide variety of housing cases for low-income clients, such as defenses of eviction cases, actions by tenants against landlords challenging substandard conditions in their apartments, fair housing and exclusionary zoning cases, public utility shut-off cases, and work on behalf of community groups for housing rehabilitation. Each student has a caseload of two or three smaller cases and one complex case. Students prepare and present their cases in state and federal courts. The course develops lawyering skills with special emphasis on litigation strategy, pretrial and trial preparation, and trial advocacy. In their representation of clients in actual cases, students have the opportunity to engage in interviewing and counseling, negotiation, fact investigation and discovery, oral advocacy, direct and cross-examination, and trial argument. Students also draft research memoranda, strategy memoranda, pleadings, motions and trial briefs. Special attention is placed on professional responsibility issues and strategic case planning methods.
Mediation Clinic
Students in the Mediation Clinic will serve as mediators in actual cases involving small claims cases and family court matters, including custody/visitation and PINS cases. Students complete an intensive mediation training program with a NYS Court Certified Mediation Trainer. Student mediators help parties involved in a conflict to negotiate and make decisions about the conflict's outcome. The mediations take place either at the Clinic offices or on-site at a referring court or agency. Under the Clinical Instructor's supervision, students will: screen and develop cases; interview parties to a dispute and advise them about the mediation process; mediate cases in two-student teams; and, draft settlement agreements. The mission of the Mediation Clinic is not to train students to be professional mediators; rather, the mission is to teach them fundamental lawyering skills such as interviewing, counseling, negotiation, and effective problem solving, all of which are essential to every attorney's work.
Political Asylum Clinic
In the Political Asylum Clinic, students represent political asylum applicants in immigration proceedings before Asylum Officers, Immigration Judges, and the Board of Immigration Appeals. Our clients fled their countries because of torture or other persecution, based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. If they are granted political asylum, our clients will be able to remain in the United States, to bring their immediate family here, and one year after winning asylum, to apply for permanent residence. Our clients’ lives literally depend on the outcome of the asylum case. Students have represented clients from such countries as Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Trinidad, Albania, Chad, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Jamaica, Tibet, India and Nepal.
Securities Arbitration Clinic
In the Securities Arbitration Clinic, students will be introduced to the fundamental principles for securities arbitration primarily initiated by or against investors of modest means before either the New York Stock Exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers now combined into FINRA. Students will also be instructed with respect to the principles of securities regulations relevant to typical investor claims against broker/dealers. Students (in teams of two) will be assigned to cases and will serve as advocates for the clients. Such assignments will include case intake, case development, research of legal issues, preparation of arbitration filings, and representation of the client before the arbitration panel hearing each claim.
Howard University School of Law
Criminal Justice Clinic
Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic
Illinois Institute of Technology: Chicago-Kent College of Law
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic - Students who intern in the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic provide free assistance to impoverished clients in connection with a wide variety of federal tax disputes. Students have primary responsibility for advising and representing taxpayers who are battling the Internal Revenue Service and in the midst of ongoing civil examinations, administrative appeals, and enforced collection actions. Students also work closely with the supervising professor to prepare and try cases before the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. District Court. Typical issues include proving entitlement to the Earned Income Tax Credit, establishing status as an Innocent Spouse, substantiating business or personal deductions claimed on tax returns, seeking relief from various civil penalties, and stopping the IRS from seizing a client's wages or other assets.
Mediation and ADR Procedures Clinic - Students who intern in the Mediation and Other ADR Procedures Clinic engage in training and practice in mediation, arbitration, and other ADR techniques. They become certified as mediators and conduct a number of mediations over the course of the semester. Typical cases include juvenile court cases, criminal misdemeanor cases, employment discrimination cases, landlord-tenant disputes, and small claims court disputes. They also assist the clinical professors in arbitrating cases and drafting arbitration opinions.
Students who intern in the Employment Discrimination/Civil Rights Litigation with some General Practice Program work on employment discrimination disputes and civil rights cases in the federal and state courts and at administrative agencies; the work also includes some general civil practice. A unique feature of this Program and the Criminal Defense Litigation Program is their fee-generating practice which enables their student interns to receive their clinical practice experience in non-poverty as well as poverty cases and have the opportunity to work in a realistic practice environment.
Students enrolled in the Health & Disability Law Clinic will have the opportunity to work on a variety of compelling disability and health related cases/issues. The clinic represents adults and children with various medical impairments, including diabetes and autism, in cases that typically involve issues such as: disability discrimination in schools; discrimination in employment; vaccine-related injuries; Social Security disability benefits; and benefit denials by private insurance companies. Students will experience what it’s like to use their legal skills, intelligence and passion to advocate for disadvantaged individuals against government bureaucracies and corporate interests.
Indiana University Maurer School of Law (Bloomington)
Community Legal Clinic: Through the Community Legal Clinic, second- and third-year law students have the opportunity to sharpen and develop skills while representing clients under the supervision of a licensed supervising attorney. The clinic’s clients are local residents, and many—if not all—clients have limited incomes that prevent private legal counsel. The clinic focuses on family law cases, including divorce, establishment of paternity, guardianship, adoption, parenting, and custody.
Conservation Law Clinic: The clinic provides legal services to nonprofit organizations, units of government, and other clients in support of natural resource conservation. Center attorneys and clinic students collaborate to resolve organization and incorporation problems, draft model legislation, and advocate for conservation of wildlife, ecological systems, and protected areas for clients whose issues involve advocacy-in the broadest sense of the word-for natural resources.
Disability Law Clinic: Through the Disability Law Clinic, second- and third-year students work with individual clients and disability rights groups to address discrimination and to access benefits and services designed to assist low-income people with disabilities. In a small class setting, students learn basic law regarding Social Security and Medicaid disability benefits and develop skills in client interaction, research and writing, advocacy, administrative practice, cultural competence, and collaboration.
Elmore Entrepreneurship Law Clinic: The Elmore Entrepreneurship Law Clinic, jointly sponsored by the IU Kelley School of Business and Indiana Law, gives third-year law students and fourth-year joint degree students the opportunity to help new high-growth potential ventures become more operational and sustainable. Students advise entrepreneurs who otherwise might not be able to afford their expertise.
Viola J. Taliaferro Family and Children Mediation Clinic: The Viola J. Taliaferro Family and Children Mediation Clinic is offered to second- and third-year law students. It offers hands-on mediation experience in a combined 6-credit course and clinical experience in which students mediate real-life disputes involving families with children, such as custody, parenting time, child support, and related disputes between parents in family law cases. This is an interdisciplinary clinical program in which the director, Amy Applegate, and her students collaborate in both research and training with faculty and students from IU's Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology Department). This collaboration is intended to improve the mediation process for families that mediate and to assist families in focusing on and reaching agreements that best meet their children's needs.
Federal Courts Clinic: Students in the Federal Courts Clinic spend one day each week in the chambers of U.S. district judges or U.S. magistrate judges in Indianapolis, where they will draft opinions, perform legal research, help prepare jury instructions, and screen motions in order to advise the judges. Each student works one-on-one with a judge and reports to a faculty supervisor at Indiana Law. These positions have professional exposure to varied cases and parties.
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis
Civil Practice
Criminal Defense
Disability
Immigration
Appellate
http://indylaw.indiana.edu/clinics/courses.htm
Inter American University of Puerto Rico: Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law
- Environmental Clinic
- Domestic Violence Clinic
- Civil Rights Clinic
- Minor Law Clinic
John Marshall Law School – Atlanta
Lewis & Clark College School of Law
Community Development Law Center
International Environmental Law Project
Lewis & Clark Legal Clinic
National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI)
Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center
Liberty University School of Law
The law school offers students the opportunity to participate in the Constitutional Litigation Clinic, which works in conjunction with Liberty Counsel. Relationships with other organizations will be explored in the future. Students are required to attend a weekly classroom component and participate in all phases of newly filed and ongoing Liberty Counsel cases, including direct client contact, attorney strategy sessions, drafting of legal documents, and, where permitted by local rules, trials and hearings.
Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center
Domestic Violence Protection Clinic
Third-year students are certified to practice law and represent victims of domestic and dating violence in East Baton Rouge Family Court. Student experiences include interviewing victims, negotiating settlement, and representing clients in court hearings. Through the classroom and real world experience, students learn the fundamentals of family law, Louisiana’s abuse protection law and procedure, and perfect trial skills through frequent court appearances. Although cases are before the Family Court, the knowledge and trial experience gained are transferable to other areas of practice. The clinic cooperates with the Battered Women’s Program of the Capital Area Family Violence Intervention Center. Participation is limited to third-year students and requires consent of the Instructor. Prerequisite is The Legal Profession.
Juvenile Representation Clinic
Third-year students are certified to practice law and represent juveniles in delinquency proceedings in the East Baton Rouge Juvenile Court. Students work closely with faculty at the Law Center and attorneys in the Juvenile Public Defender’s Office. Students gain experience in the criminal justice system and perfect their trial skills through frequent court appearances. This Clinic provides a solid understanding of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Juvenile Law. Although the work is expressly with juveniles, the practical experiences translate to other areas of legal practice. Participation is limited to third-year students and requires consent of the Instructor. Prerequisite is The Legal Profession.
Immigration Legal Services Clinic
Third-year students are certified to practice law and represent individuals with immigration matters through administrative processes and proceedings and appeal. Students gain practical experience traveling to immigration detention centers throughout the state, interviewing clients, appearing for clients before the Immigration Court in Oakdale, Louisiana, or New Orleans, as well as client representation before other administrative bodies. Students learn the fundamentals of Immigration Law and Immigration Practice and Procedure as well as general Administrative Law practice. Participation is limited to second and third-year students and requires consent of the Instructor.
Family Mediation Clinic
Third-year students are certified to practice law and are trained to be Family Law Mediators. The class provides intensive instruction and simulation that prepares students to be capable mediators in family disputes. Although the clinic focuses on mediation in the family context, the skills learned are applicable in other mediation and negotiation contexts. Once trained, students are provided with the opportunity to mediate for real families in crisis and assist with their self-determination of child custody, visitation, support and property. Students will meet statutory requirements of Qualified Family Mediators.
Loyola Law School: Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Cancer Legal Resource Center
Center for Conflict Resolution
Center for Restorative Justice
Civil Rights Litigation Course
Disability Rights Legal Center
Education Advocacy
Hobbs District Attorney Program
Housing Law Course
Juvenile Justice Clinic
Public Interest Law Practice Seminar
State Board of Equalization (SBE) Tax Clinic
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)
Loyola University Chicago: Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Business Law Center
Elder Law Clinic
Loyola Child and Family Law Clinic
Loyola Community Law Center
Loyola Federal Tax Clinic
Loyola University New Orleans: Loyola University New Orleans School of Law
Law Clinic - The Loyola Law Clinic Students receive six hours credit for two semesters and gain practical experience under the supervision of clinical faculty. http://law.loyno.edu/clinic
Marquette University Law School
Marquette Law School offers four live-client clinical programs: (1) Marquette Small Claims Mediation Clinic, (2) Prosecutor Clinic, (3) Public Defender Clinic; and (4) Unemployment Compensation Clinic in cooperation with Legal Action of Wisconsin.
In addition to formal for-credit opportunities, Marquette Law School has an extensive offering of Pro Bono public interest clinics, allowing students to participate in active client intake and lawyering on wide range of issues. The Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic involves more than 100 law students and 150 lawyers each year in service to the community at four locations including the Veterans Services Office and the Milwaukee County Courthouse. In addition, specialty clinics serve particular populations. The Marquette Legal Initiative for Nonprofit Corporations, the Legal and Medical Partnership for Families at the Downtown Health Center, the Servicemembers and Veterans Legal Assistance for Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Foreclosure Mediation Program, and the Immigrant Detention Project are all examples of specialized pro-bono clinical opportunities available at Marquette Law School.
Mercer University School of Law
Michigan State University College of Law
Rental Housing Clinic I & Rental Housing Clinic II - http://www.msulawclinics.org
Tax Clinic I & Tax Clinic II - http://www.msulawclinics.org
Mississippi College: Mississippi College School of Law
New England School of Law: New England School of Law
The in-house clinics and externships are administered jointly under the umbrella of the clinical courses. Most clinics and placements are entirely Public Interest.
New York Law School: New York Law School
Criminal Law Clinic
Elder Law Clinic
Mediation Clinic
Poverty Law Clinic
Securities Arbitration Clinic
New York University: New York University School of Law
NYU Law's extensive clinical programs function as public interest law firms, supervised by clinical faculty and in some cases, lawyers in government or private organizations.
Please see http://www.law.nyu.edu/academics/clinics/ for more a complete list of NYU’s clinics.
North Carolina Central University School of Law
Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic – The ADR Clinic is designed to introduce students to the range of available disputes resolution processes, particularly within North Carolina court-annexed ADR programs, and to teach them how to determine what process may be most appropriate for resolving different kinds of cases. Students will be required to complete a 40-hour training program in Basic Mediation, Arbitration, Collaborative Law, and related subjects. Students must also attend at least five district court sessions as mediators and participate in at least six mediations, attend and observe Drug Treatment Court and district court arbitrations, participate in or observe an elective from a wide range of cases including mediation, mediation-arbitration and arbitration, and keep a journal.
http://www.nccu.edu/law/clinical/index.html#clinic1.html
Civil Litigation Clinic (Classroom) – The classroom component of the clinic includes lectures, readings, written assignments and trial simulations. (2 credits) Pre-requisite: Trial Practice. http://www.nccu.edu/law/clinical/index.html#clinic2
Civil Litigation Clinic (Field/Summer) – Students participate in the supervised representation of civil litigants under the North Carolina third-year practice rule. Students work in the law school clinic for a minimum of 15 hours per week. Pre-requisites: Trial Practice and Civil Litigation Clinic(Classroom).
Criminal Litigation Clinic (Classroom) – The classroom component of the clinic includes lectures, readings, written assignments and trial simulations. The course focuses on learning the procedure that governs the disposition of criminal cases in North Carolina. The course grade is based on an examination and students' prosecution or defense of a mock criminal trial. Pre-requisites: Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence and Trial Practice. http://www.nccu.edu/law/clinical/index.html#clinic3
Criminal Litigation Clinic (Field) – Students participate in the supervised representation of criminal defendants under the North Carolina third-year practice rule. Students work for a minimum of 10 hours per week and earn two credit hours graded on a pass-fail basis. Cases may be referred by the Public Defenders Program or students may be placed in a local prosecutor's office. The students comprise attorney members of a law firm which meets on a weekly basis. Each student is required to be present in the clinic offices to assist in its operation a minimum of two (2) hours per week. Pre-requisites: Trial Practice and Criminal Litigation Clinic (Classroom). http://www.nccu.edu/law/clinical/index.html#clinic3
Domestic Violence Clinic – In this clinical component course, students will first complete a classroom-based training program. Students will then provide advice and counsel to victims of domestic violence referred from local programs, shelters and hotlines, on how to obtain immediate legal protection against their aggressors. All students will practice under the supervision of the Domestic Violence Clinical Supervising Attorney. Credit received is dependent upon hours invested by the student in accordance with the formula provided by the ABA Standards. Students eligible under the third-year practice rule have the opportunity to represent clients in obtaining protective orders in the Durham County District Court. Pre-requisite: Domestic Violence: History, Law and Practice http://www.nccu.edu/law/clinical/index.html#clinic4
Family Law Clinic (Classroom) – The Family Law Clinic is a one year program that combines the learning of practical skills, North Carolina family law, pretrial litigation skills, and practical civil procedure with supervised representation of live clients. Students may choose to intern in the clinic or extern with local agencies or family law attorneys. A variety of matters are handled by this clinic, including emergency custody orders, absolute divorces, name changes, separation agreements, competency proceedings, Legal Aid of North Carolina partners with this clinic. Clinic students also conduct "File It Yourself" Custody and Visitation Workshops for the general public every month in Durham and Wake Counties. During these workshops, the supervising attorney gives a brief lecture on the law and interns provide paperwork and instruction for completing the necessary custody action forms. Prerequisites: Family Law (may be taken concurrently) and Trial Practice. http://www.nccu.edu/law/clinical/index.html#clinic5
Juvenile Law Clinic – Students participating will represent clients in juvenile detention and long-term suspension administrative hearings. The Clinic will entail a 30-40 hour classroom component consisting of the Juvenile Delinquency Code and Durham Public Schools' Policies and Procedures on long-term suspension as well as 60-70 hours in the field for a total of 100 hours. Prerequisites: Criminal Law, Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure and Trial Practice. (Criminal Procedure and Trial Practice may be taken concurrently with the clinic.) http://www.nccu.edu/law/clinical/index.html#clinic6
Pro Bono Clinic – This course allows students to participate in pro bono projects offered through the Pro Bono Program Office or a self-designed, instructor approved pro bono project. Each student is required to work a minimum of 45 hours and to provide either a finished written work product from the project or a final report describing the completed pro bono project. http://www.nccu.edu/law/clinical/index.html#Probono
Northeastern University: Northeastern University School of Law
Civil Rights and Restorative Justice (CRRJ) – This clinic addresses harms resulting from the massive breakdown in law enforcement during the civil rights movement, from the 1950s to the early 1970s.
CRRJ's aim is to investigate the role of state, local and federal law enforcement agencies and courts in protecting activists and their work. CRRJ examines the geo-politics that led to the large-scale breakdown of law enforcement, the wide-spread repression against the movement's participants, and the reforms that have been initiated to rectify these abuses. The clinic engages teachers and students across the university and is directed by faculty from the School of Law and the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Criminal Advocacy Clinic - Emphasizing preparation at every level of criminal advocacy, this clinic instructs students in the techniques, strategies and decision-making processes involved in the handling of "routine" criminal cases. Each student is generally assigned to a three-member team that manages an actual case in a local criminal court. The court assigns the cases to the Criminal Advocacy Clinic and each team's work is closely supervised.
Domestic Violence Clinic - This clinic, part of the Domestic Violence Institute focuses on violence prevention, restraining order enforcement and criminal intervention in Dorchester District Court, Boston's largest community court. The clinic offers students an opportunity to develop many traditional lawyering skills, including interviewing and counseling clients and advocating in the courtroom. The emphasis, however, is on developing an appreciation for legal advocacy that empowers clients to make their decisions, particularly in cases where the risk of further violence is ever-present and the clients must weigh both their legal and non-legal options and consequences in order to enhance their own safety and that of their children.
Poverty Law and Practice Clinic- Clinic students are assigned to represent organizations, their members, and individual clients who seek assistance on issues of housing, work, and welfare. Organizational goals are pursued through community education and individual and group advocacy. Students learn to make their knowledge available to community organizations. In addition, students appear before administrative, legislative and judicial decision-makers on behalf of their clients.
Prisoners' Rights Clinic - Under the close supervision of two experienced practitioners, students develop and refine advocacy skills while representing prisoners in Massachusetts. Typically, each student handles both an adversarial proceeding (a disciplinary hearing) and a non-adversarial proceeding (parole-related or classification hearing) from beginning to end. Through this experience, students learn how to properly conduct client/witness interviews and thorough factual investigations, examine and cross-examine witnesses effectively and make persuasive opening and closing statements. Students also learn how to write winning administrative appeals. The clinic presents a survey of the constitutional law relating to the sentencing process and the rights of prisoners while incarcerated and on parole.
Public Health Clinic - In cooperation with the school's Public Health Advocacy Institute, this clinic covers tobacco control issues in depth, while also focusing on the emerging obesity epidemic and issues involving the gun and pharmaceutical industries. It considers the conflict between individual rights and the need to protect the public health. In the clinic, students gain real experience in public interest law, public health law, and the use of litigation to effect changes in public health policy. Student projects support the research and drafting needs of practicing PHAI attorneys. Clinical instructors supervise students, serving as writing coaches and mentors for the quarter-long project.
Northern Illinois University: Northern Illinois University College of Law
Appellate Defender Clinic
Criminal Defense Clinic
Domestic Abuse Clinic
Elder Law Clinic
Mediation Clinic
Public Interest Litigation
Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law
Constitutional Litigation Clinic: Students represent prisoners and ex-offenders in civil rights and other cases in both federal and state court. Student work under the supervision of attorneys at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center.
Indigent Defense Clinic: Students represent indigent criminal defendants in Hamilton County, Ohio, under the supervision of attorneys at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center. Students participate in all facets of criminal representation.
Kentucky Innocence Project: Students assist the Department of Public Advocacy in seeking justice for innocent prisoners.
Northwestern University: Northwestern University School of Law
The Bluhm Legal Clinic is comprised of a number of centers, each of which offers a variety of public interest clinical opportunities.
The Children and Family Justice Center is a comprehensive children's law center where law students, under the supervision of attorneys and clinical professors, represent young people on matters of delinquency and crime, family violence, school discipline, health and disability, and immigration and asylum. CFJC collaborates with communities and child welfare, educational, mental health and juvenile justice systems to develop fair and effective policies and solutions for reform. Clinical offerings include:
- Juvenile Delinquency and School Law
- Juvenile Justice and Reform
- Mental Health Issues in Juvenile Court
- Juvenile Justice and Death Penalty Trials and Appeals
- Youth and Women Asylum Law
- Clinic Practice: Center for International Human Rights
- Human Rights Advocacy in U.S. Courts and International Tribunals
- Clinic Practice: Small Business Opportunity Center
- Clinic Practice: Center on Wrongful Convictions
- Wrongful Convictions, Juvenile Justice and Clemency and Parole
- Clinic Practice: Investor Protection
- Clinical Justice Reform
- Complex Civil Litigation
- Criminal Defense and Appeals
- Federal Criminal Appellate Practice
- The United States Supreme Court
Notre Dame: Notre Dame Law School
-
Legal Aid Immigration Clinic
Students work exclusively on immigration cases.
-
Legal Aid I & II (classroom & clinic component)
The Clinic introduces students to the substantive areas of law encountered in a poverty law clinic such as domestic violence and homelessness.
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Legal Aid Ethics
The Clinic focuses on ethical issues arising in a clinical setting.
Nova Southeastern University: Shepard Broad Law Center
Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic
Children and Families Clinic
Environmental Law Clinic
Ohio Northern Claude W. Pettit College of Law
Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law
The Clinical Programs at the Moritz College of Law provides an approach to clinical education that is distinctive among American law schools. Since 1935, the faculty at the college has recognized that problem solving, factual investigation, counseling, negotiation, and litigation skills are best learned by combining the actual practice of law, in which students take responsibility for their own cases, with an intensive academic experience in the classroom. Moritz typically conducts each of these clinics with a two-person faculty team. The teams both provide expertise in the theory and doctrine of a particular area of law and help students develop hands-on legal experience. Under the guidance and mentoring of this faculty team, law students get a taste of the satisfactions and challenges of a legal career.
The American Bar Association recognizes that clinical programs are an essential component of legal education. Our graduates realize that, too. When polled about the value of these practical classes, more than two-thirds of Moritz Law alumni recommended that all law students take at least one clinical course. Likewise, employers value the practical training clinic graduates bring with them to the practice of law.
Moritz Law students may begin taking clinical courses in their second year. In the Mediation Practicum, they serve as court-appointed mediators in pending cases, helping parties resolve cases ranging from back pay demanded by immigrant workers to child care disputes between divorcing parents. Another option for second-year students is the Legislation Clinic, in which they work with leaders of the Ohio General Assembly and other key legislative players, assisting them with research, analysis, and monitoring of the lawmaking process.
Third-year students who meet the Supreme Court of Ohio's internship requirements may enroll in courses that permit them to represent clients under the supervision of Moritz Law faculty, all licensed attorneys. Students may choose from among four litigation clinics: civil, criminal prosecution, criminal defense, and justice for children.
In recent years, students in these clinics have represented clients in both federal and state cases. Two of the cases in the Civil Clinic have gone to the U.S. Supreme Court, and clinic students have been crucial in preparing briefs and arguments. Another case involved a five-day jury trial in federal court, tried almost entirely by Moritz Law students.
In the Criminal Defense and Prosecution Clinics, students regularly appear in local courts in misdemeanor cases, learning how to prepare witnesses, negotiate plea bargains, and try criminal cases. Students in the Justice for Children Practicum not only represent minors in the local juvenile court, but have also filed state Supreme Court amicus curiae briefs addressing groundbreaking issues affecting children.
Oklahoma City University: Oklahoma City University School of Law
Immigration Law Clinic—Housed in the offices of Catholic Charities, the clinic teaches basic lawyering skills such as interviewing, counseling, negotiation, and trial advocacy, as well as problem-solving, judgment, communication, and decision-making. Supervised by a clinical instructor, students assist in the representation of clients with a wide range of immigration issues, with political asylum issues a focus of the clinic.
Jodi G. Marquette American Indian Wills Clinic—Students work under the supervision of a licensed attorney and provide wills-drafting services to American Indians who own an interest in Indian land in Oklahoma. These services are provided free of charge, thanks to a generous anonymous donation of $250,000 to further the work of the Native American Legal Resource Center’s Wills Services Project, which received its initial funding from the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. The program offers practical experience for students who, under supervision of a licensed attorney, provide needed legal services while receiving instruction and training in client relations, as well as the complex area of American Indian estate planning.
Oklahoma Innocence Clinic—Oklahoma City University School of Law has launched a fundraising and organizational effort to start an innocence clinic at the law school, with students working to identify and rectify convictions of innocent people in Oklahoma. The Clinic’s anticipated start date is Fall 2011.
Barbara A. Salken Criminal Justice Clinic – Combines actual representation of clients in Bronx County Criminal Court and an intensive seminar in criminal defense practice.
Environmental Litigation Clinic – Intensively immerses students in an environmental law practice representing public interest groups, primarily the Riverkeeper, Inc.'s ongoing water quality and toxics cases before federal and state courts.
http://www.law.pace.edu/envclinic/index.html
Equal Justice America Disability Rights Clinic – Under a student practice order, students represent clients in a variety of transactional matters, civil cases and administrative proceedings.
Immigration Justice Clinic – Handles immigration law problems, including Violence Against Women and Anti-Trafficking Act Claims, of indigent people living, working, or detained in Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam, and Ulster Counties.
John J Legal Services – Umbrella organization for four clinics -- http://www.law.pace.edu/jjls/index.html
Securities Arbitration Clinic – Represents clients who cannot afford private counsel in arbitration and mediation proceedings before the NASD Dispute Resolution Forum or the New York Stock Exchange in disputes with brokers.
Pennsylvania State University The Dickinson School of Law
Students learn by experience in Penn State Law’s legal clinics. Under the guidance of clinical faculty, second- and third-year students earn academic credit while engaging in all aspects of the legal process, from legislative advocacy to client representation. Corresponding skills training courses give students a knowledge base on which to build their professional experiences.
Launched in 2008, the Center for Immigrants’ Rights provides students with the opportunity to work on innovative advocacy and policy projects relating to U.S. immigration primarily through representation of immigration organizations.
The Children's Advocacy Clinic (CAC) is an innovative multidisciplinary clinical setting in which law students and graduate social work students represent children in the legal system. The clinic provides students with the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on training serving children and advocating for policy issues related to children in the welfare system.
Civil Rights Appellate ClinicThe Civil Rights Appellate Clinic provides intensive training in appellate advocacy by involving students in noncriminal civil rights cases before the state appellate courts, federal courts of appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Disability Law Clinic offers free legal services to people with disability-related problems such as Supplemental Security Income claims, handicap discrimination, Americans with Disabilities Act claims, and special education problems.
The Family Law Clinic is a free service providing legal help for people in central Pennsylvania who are having problems related to family matters. Qualified law students provide legal services under the supervision of law professors who are members of the Pennsylvania Bar.
International Sustainable Development Projects Clinic
Through this first-of-its-kind clinic, law students will collaborate in interdisciplinary teams brought together by Penn State’s Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship program, (HESE) to develop, design, and implement humanitarian projects in the developing world. The International Sustainable Development Projects (ISDP) Law Clinic provides students with the opportunity to build the legal skills necessary to bring sustainable new ventures to market in an International environment. Under the direction of Professor Jeff Erickson, students will learn how to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary setting and with in-country legal advisors.
Rural Economic Development Clinic
With one of the nation’s largest rural populations, Pennsylvania’s prosperity depends upon its rural communities. The Rural Economic Development Clinic is committed to the complementary goals of training talented lawyers while encouraging sustainable rural economic development by representing clients in agricultural, food, and energy law sectors.
Pepperdine University: Odell McConnell Law Center
Dispute Resolution Clinic
Family Law Clinic –
Pepperdine Legal Aid Clinic at the Los Angeles Union Rescue Mission –
Special Education Clinic –
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
Quinnipiac University School of Law
Civil Clinic – Students in the in-house Civil Clinic provide free legal services to low- and moderate-income clients in a variety of subject matters. Cases include consumer and foreclosure matters, family disputes, landlord/tenant cases, will contests, immigration, and education cases. The clinic provides services at the administrative, trial, and appellate levels. Students have also conducted outreach sessions in the community, and have handled disciplinary matters against lawyers who have been grieved.
Defense Appellate Clinic – Students in the two-semester Defense Appellate Clinic represent on appeal indigent persons who have been convicted of crimes. They work under the supervision of an attorney/visiting clinical instructor from the state's Office of the Public Defender.
Health Law Clinic – The Health Law Clinic provides free legal services to persons with legal problems related to their health status or condition. Most clients have a disability, and many are seeking government benefits. Some cases involve litigation to establish the rights of clients, such as due process rights in conservatorship cases. The Clinic has handled cases at all levels, including administrative hearings, trial and appeals.
Prosecution Appellate Clinic – Students in this year-long program represent the state in criminal appeals. They work under the supervisison of an attorney/visiting clinical instructor from the Appellate Bureau of the Chief State's Attorney's Office.
Tax Clinic – The Tax Clinic provides free legal services to low-income taxpayers. The Clinic also engages in outreach and tax education in the community, particularly for those for whom English is not their first language. Tax controversy cases include innocent spouse matters, offers in compormise, earned income credit cases, and other disputes with the IRS. The Clinic handles matters at both the administrative and court levels.
Regent University: School of Law
Litigation Clinic – The Litigation Clinic involves consumer issues, domestic relations, and administrative matters. Student-clinicians have direct responsibility for managing cases from initial interviews to conclusion of representation.
Roger Williams University: School of Law
Criminal Defense Clinic Immigration Clinic Mediation Clinic
Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Center for Law and Justice (Newark)
Child Advocacy Clinic – http://law.newark.rutgers.edu/clinics/child-advocacy-clinic
Community Law Clinic – http://law.newark.rutgers.edu/clinics/community-law-clinic
Constitutional Litigation Clinic – http://law.newark.rutgers.edu/clinics/constitutional-litigation-clinic
Environmental Law Clinic – http://law.newark.rutgers.edu/clinics/environmental-law-clinic Federal Tax Law Clinic – http://law.newark.rutgers.edu/clinics/federal-tax-law-clinic
Special Education Clinic – http://law.newark.rutgers.edu/clinics/special-education-clinic
Urban Legal Clinic – http://law.newark.rutgers.edu/clinics/urban-legal
Rutgers: The State University of New Jersey School of Law, Camden
Community Development Clinic – The Rutgers Community Development Clinic provides legal representation and related technical assistance to non-profit organizations and small businesses in Camden. Clinic students work under the supervision of clinic faculty in representing clients, including providing legal and technical advice, drafting organizational and transactional documents, interacting with government agencies and financial institutions, and negotiating deals. In appropriate instances, students will collaborate with counterparts in community planning and business development in providing services to clients. Representative areas of legal work include: non-profit and small business corporate structure and governance (including choosing form of entity, preparing certificates of incorporation and bylaws, etc.), shareholder agreements, tax exempt status and other tax issues, zoning and land use, eminent domain, legislative and policy advocacy, real estate and financial transactions (real estate closings, small business loans, etc.), and negotiation and drafting of contracts such as leases and partnership and joint venture agreements. The overall focus of the Clinic's representation, whether for nonprofit or business clients, is revitalization of Camden communities and promotion of new economic opportunities for Camden's citizens.
Participants in the Rutgers Community Development Clinic attend seminar meetings and work directly with clients. Students may extend their clinical experience, thereby becoming involved in more complex matters, by registering for a subsequent semester in the two-credit Advanced Community Development Clinic.
Domestic Violence Clinic – As with the Civil Practice Clinic, this course focuses on the skills necessary for client representation, the ethical issues that arise in cases, and the roles of attorney and counselor. Students are required to represent victims of domestic violence in complex domestic violence matters. Clinical attorneys supervise.
Students work with a partner and undertake all steps necessary to prepare for court hearings, including interviewing clients, reviewing court documents from related cases or prior proceedings, making strategic decisions, and drafting documents. Because the initial complaints are often drafted by police or other non-lawyers, and are thus often deficient, students often need to amend the complaint. In some situations, students may also need to write briefs for the actual representations as part of an effective strategy, or at the request of the judge. Typically, these briefs are under ten pages but must be prepared in only a few days. Those situations provide students with an additional and valuable learning experience about the realities of trial practice from a research and writing perspective. Students also make all necessary court appearances. In New Jersey, third-year students may appear in court under the New Jersey Third Year Practice Rule. The types of representations which students undertake include final restraining order hearings where both parties have filed for relief; final restraining order hearings involving novel issues of law, motions for reconsideration, contempt hearings, or appeals.
Marshall-Brennan Program – Students take a fall seminar designed to train them to teach constitutional law to high school students and then in the spring go out and do the actual teaching.
Rutgers Civil Practice Clinic – The Clinic is both a law school course and a law office staffed by students. It is a four- credit, one semester limited enrollment course open to any law student (full-time or part- time) who has completed two-thirds of his or her legal education. The Civil Practice Clinic involves both client representation and a seminar component. Students provide representation in civil cases under the supervision of an attorney. Working with partners, students undertake all the steps necessary to representation, including interviewing clients, making strategic decisions, drafting documents and briefs, conducting negotiations and making all court appearances. Currently, students participating in the Civil Practice Clinic work with one of several projects: Elder Law Project, Rutgers/LEAP Legal Project and Special Education Project. The LEAP Legal Project provides legal advice, representation and community education to LEAP Academy students and their parents. LEAP Academy is an innovative full-service year-round grammar school in Camden that provides legal assistance, medical care, social services and parent training to LEAP families.
Saint John's University School of Law
Saint Louis University: Saint Louis University School of Law
Battered Women's Clemency Project - Students assist women seeking clemency for killing abusers
Criminal Defense Clinic - Students represent indigent criminal defendants while working in the St. Louis City Public Defender's Office during their spring semester. Students assist on felony cases, and under student practice rules, are able to handle misdemeanor trials, juvenile hearings and preliminary hearings and motions. Students in this Clinic enroll in the Advanced Criminal Procedure course that uses simulations to give students the experience of the entire trial process from arrest to sentencing.
Family Law Clinic – The Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry, located in the Clinic offices, provides students with the opportunity to handle a full range of family law cases. Students serve as Guardians ad Litem for abused and neglected children and represent battered women with orders of protection and divorces. They represent clients in custody and paternity cases and provide assistance to incarcerated women.
Health Law Clinic – Students draft estate planning documents for mentally ill and the elderly and assist families with Medicaid, Medicare, and SSI issues.
Homelessness Clinic – Students go into homeless shelters to interview clients about a variety of legal needs, then provide representation when necessary. Cases include public benefits applications, family law matters and minor criminal charges that can prevent the homeless from obtaining housing or jobs.
Housing and Development Law Clinic – Students handle legal work for Habitat for Humanity and other non-profit housing developers. They serve as coordinators for housing development projects. They draft leases, contracts, deeds and financial documents, then conduct real estate closings for the non-profit developers.
Immigration Law Clinic – Students assist immigrants with citizenship papers
Mediation Clinic– Mediators facilitate negotiations between parties in an effort to reach a settlement without the need of a trial. Students are trained in mediation skills and then mediate landlord-tenant disputes. Most cases handled by the students are resolved with an agreement by the parties.
Saint Mary’s University of San Antonio: St. Mary’s University of San Antonio School of Law
Criminal Justice
Civil Justice
Immigration
Community Development
Saint Thomas University: St. Thomas University School of Law (FL)
St. Thomas offers the following clinics:
Samford University: Cumberland School of Law
Senior Citizen’s Legal Clinic – Law students assist attorneys draft wills and practice estate planning for low-income senior citizens in the community.
Lovelady Center Legal Clinic – Law students assist attorneys represent residents of the Lovelady Center, a local drug rehabilitation center and halfway house for recently released female inmates, in family law and domestic relations cases as well as minor criminal matters.
HELP - The Birmingham HELP program operates weekly legal clinics for the homeless at the Old Firehouse and First Light shelters. Many of the requests received by volunteers are simple to handle, such as the need for a birth certificate or drivers license, help with applying for benefits or appealing the denial of benefits, or clearing up minor criminal matters that are preventing the individual from getting housing or applying for a job. Two or three attorneys staff each clinic each week, assisted by volunteer law students from Cumberland. In addition to providing assistance onsite, law students provide legal research for the volunteer attorneys on issues that cannot be resolved during the two hour clinic. Project Homeless Connect – Law students conduct intake interviews for the area’s homeless and then pair the client with a local attorney.
Santa Clara University: Santa Clara University School of Law
Katharine and George Alexander Community Law Center -For more than fifteen years, the Katharine and George Alexander Community Law Center (KGACLC) has provided pro bono advice and representation in several areas, including consumer law, immigration law and workers' rights. Poverty-stricken minorities and immigrants from many countries throughout the world make up the vast majority of clients of the KGACLC, which is the civil clinical component of the Santa Clara University School of Law. The Community Law Center leverages the evolving skills of law students, who work under the close supervision of experienced attorneys to provide free legal services. http://law.scu.edu/kgaclc/about-us.cfm
Northern California Innocence Project – Supervised by experienced legal and forensic staff, law students evaluate case histories-- including transcripts, medical reports, and appellate briefs--as well as work with prisoners, crime and evidence labs, law enforcement, defense attorneys, and prosecutors to help prove claims of innocence. This course is recommended for all law students, regardless of their intention to practice criminal law. http://www.scu.edu/law/ncip
Seattle University: Seattle University School of Law
Administrative Law Clinic - Students assist Medicaid recipients who have been denied medical benefits. Students represent these clients in administrative fair hearings to contest the denial of benefits.
Arts Legal Clinic - Students provide advice and assistance to low income artists with legal issues related to their artistic creations or profession.
Bankruptcy Clinic
Civil Practice Clinic
Immigration Clinic - Students represent immigrant women who are petitioning to remain in this country under the provisions of the Violence Against Women Act [VAWA].
International Human Rights Clinic - Students represent foreign and domestic clients with human rights claims in federal and state courts as well as international and regional tribunals.
Non-Profit Organizations Clinic - Students represent groups who wish to form non-profit organizations to serve the community. Students assist these groups through incorporating the organization and filing necessary paperwork to seek tax exempt status for the organization.
Professional Responsibility Clinic
Trusts & Estates Clinic - Students provide estate planning services [wills, powers of attorney, living wills and Medicaid planning] to low income elderly and disabled individuals, including persons with HIV/AIDS. Students may also represent individuals suffering from chronic mental illness in preparing health care advanced directives.
Youth Advocacy Clinic - Students represent juveniles charged with criminal offenses and parents seeking appropriate educational services for their children.
Seton Hall University: Seton Hall University School of Law
Civil Litigation Clinic – Students in the Civil Litigation Clinic represent indigent clients through all phases of the civil litigation process in matters involving consumer fraud, civil rights, fair housing and other issues. Under the supervision of skilled and experienced law professors, students in the Clinic interview and counsel actual clients; draft pleadings, motions and briefs; appear before judges in federal and state court; argue motions, conduct depositions, hearings and trials; and engage in settlement negotiations and arbitration hearings.
Family Law Clinic – Students in the Family Law Clinic represent impoverished clients in divorce, support, custody and domestic violence cases. Students have also been appointed to represent children in contested custody cases. Students interview clients, analyze statutes, develop legal theory, prepare pleadings, write briefs, argue motions, and appear at trial, all with highly individualized supervision from experienced attorneys. As family law is a readily developing area, students often have the opportunity to explore cutting-edge issues, as they gain critical litigation skills.
Housing and Homelessness Clinic – Students in the Housing and Homelessness Clinic provide comprehensive legal assistance to impoverished clients who are homeless, in danger of becoming homeless, or living in seriously substandard conditions. Students work with clients both to resolve their housing emergency (by appearing, for example, at landlord-tenant court) and to assist with the broader situation that led to the housing crisis. Many of the cases handled by this Clinic are fast-moving, providing students the opportunity in a single semester to interview clients; analyze factual and legal arguments; conduct settlement negotiations; and represent clients in court and administrative hearings.
Immigration and Human Right Clinic– Students in the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic represent indigent clients who have fled human rights abuses in their native countries and seek political asylum in the United States. Students develop and present cases at all levels ranging from affirmative applications before immigration officers to court hearings in front of immigration judges to appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals or the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to political asylum cases, clinic students have filed habeas corpus petitions in federal district court in cases involving constitutional challenges to the INS' detention policies.
Impact Litigation Clinic – Students in the Impact Litigation Clinic represent indigent clients on a wide range of cutting-edge cases that further social justice. Students in the clinic receive careful, in-depth instruction while researching and writing briefs on complex and novel legal issues. Cases are often in the appellate arena, or may involve amicus curiae briefs or innovative trial court proceedings. The Clinic is directed toward students who desire intensive training in advanced legal writing and analysis so that they can learn to produce comprehensively researched, tightly organized, well-written and persuasive legal briefs.
Juvenile Justice Clinic – The Juvenile Justice Clinic students gain litigation experience representing clients under the age of eighteen who have been charged with a juvenile offense or crime. Students interact with parents, social service agencies and school officials to gather information before representing the clients in court at detention hearings, trials, pleas and depositions. The classroom portion of the Clinic provides students with grounding in basic trial skills and rules of the court before progressing to more formal training, such as mock trials and motions to suppress evidence.
South Texas College: South Texas College of Law
General Civil Clinic – Represents low-income clients in social security disability, family law, and probate and guardianships. Students interview clients, perform needed fact investigation and legal research, draft and file any necessary documents, perform pre-hearing preparation of cases, develop case and hearing strategies, conduct actual client representation at administrative hearings, and attend state district court hearings with staff attorneys. Students enroll for three or four semester hours credit and perform a minimum of 150 to 200 hours of service.
Mediation Clinic – Students serve as third party neutrals in a variety of settings, primarily where one or more of the parties are indigent and have a pending civil dispute. Currently the clinic’s focus is on child support litigation and on-line parenting.
Southern Illinois University School of Law
Civil Practice (Elder Law) Clinic– The Elderly Clinic provides free legal service to persons sixty and over who live in the thirteen southernmost counties in Illinois. Typical cases within the Elderly Clinic include drafting wills, powers of attorney for health care and property, and representing clients in guardianship proceedings. Domestic Violence Clinic – Students in the Domestic Violence Clinic represent victims of domestic violence in select counties in southern Illinois. In a typical case, the student interviews the victim, conducts research, prepares for trial, and represents the victim in obtaining a court order of protection.
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
Southern University Law Center
Southwestern University: Southwestern Law School
With a longstanding commitment to public service and excellence in skills-oriented legal education, Southwestern houses three clinics on campus. The Children's Rights Clinic, Street Law - Youth in Transition, and the Immigration Law Clinic offer valuable services to the community while giving students hands-on experience helping indigent and otherwise underrepresented individuals.
Stanford Law School offers a rich array of in-house clinical courses, taking advantage of the opportunities such clinics afford to merge academic instruction and practical training. Ten in-house clinics are currently in operation with more slated to open in the future. Please click on the following links for more information on each clinic.
Stetson University: Stetson University College of Law
Civil Government Clinic– Students are exposed to governmental law practice and have the opportunity to work on a variety of governmental law issues, including municipal liability, zoning, ordinances, etc. Civil Immigration Clinic – Students are exposed to the unique and continuing legal concerns about immigration law. Students experience face to face counseling and representation on a variety of issues.
Civil Poverty Clinic – Students with lawyer oversight represent low income individuals primarily in the areas of domestic relations, child custody, landlord-tenant, consumer credit, collection matters and government entitlement.
Elder Law Clinic– Students with lawyer oversight represent clients 60 years and older at all stages of representation including drafting pleadings and trials. Some students will be placed with assistant state attorneys to prosecute misdemeanor consumer fraud cases where the victims are elderly. Prosecution Clinic – Students work with the State Attorney’s Office in felony and misdemeanor cases preparing and assisting with trials. Students may also be placed with the State Attorney’s delinquency and dependency divisions.
Public Defender’s Clinic – Students work with the Public Defender’s Office in felony and misdemeanor cases preparing and assisting with trials. Students may also be placed with the Public Defender’s delinquency division.
Child Advocacy Clinic – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/clinical/childAdvocacy.cfm Educational Advocacy Clinic - http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/clinical/edAdvocacy.cfm Evening Landlord-Tenant Clinic – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/clinical/landlord.cfm Family Clinic – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/clinical/family.cfm Housing & Consumer Protection Clinic – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/clinical/consumer.cfm Immigration Clinic - http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/clinical/immigration.cfm Juvenile Defender Clinic – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/clinical/jjc Suffolk Defenders – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/clinical/defenders.cfm Suffolk Prosecutors – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/clinical/prosecutors.cfm
Syracuse University: College of Law
The Office of Clinical Legal Education operates two programs: an on-campus law office representing low income individuals, not-for-profits, and small businesses; and an externship program, which places students in the community to work with government and public interest attorneys and with judges. Students receive academic credit for both of these programs, with opportunities available for 2nd and 3rd year students.
In academic year 2008-09, clinical opportunities are available in the following areas: Children's Rights and Family Law, Community Development, Criminal Defense, Disability Rights, Elder Law, Low-Income Taxpayer, and Securities Arbitration and Consumer Law. For more information on the SUCOL clinics: http://www.law.syr.edu/academics/clinicaleducation/inhouse_clinics.aspx
Temple University: James E. Beasley School of Law
Death Penalty Litigation - This clinical program offers students the unique opportunity to study capital punishment and to participate in various stages of the defense of capital cases. Students help develop factual data and legal arguments to support state post-conviction or federal habeas corpus challenges to capital convictions and sentences, as well as help prepare petitions for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court and motions for stays of executions. Students are placed with lawyers actively engaged in death penalty litigation and/or developing systemic challenges to Pennsylvania's capital punishment statute.
Death Penalty Litigation offers a program that integrates long-term and immediate litigation needs, with special emphasis on research and writing. Although the course supervising attorneys may be called upon to orally argue positions developed from the research provided by the clinical students, the clinical experience will be primarily one of drafting and briefing.
Students will be provided with a practical, substantive, and procedural context in which death penalty cases are litigated in both trial and appellate courts. The program will enable students to evaluate a file--factually and legally--plan and undertake a research assignment, and assimilate that research into a current statutory or constitutional challenge.
Elderly Law Project - This clinic offers students the opportunity to study a variety of statutes which particularly affect senior citizens and to represent clients of the Elderly Law Project. Students may represent clients before an administrative agency in matters involving the application of the Social Security Act and regulations which control social security, supplemental security income (SSI), social security disability, Medicare, and Medicaid. Students also prepare legal documents such as wills, living wills, and durable powers of attorney. They will advise clients about consumer problems, landlord/tenant matters, financial planning, long-term care, protective services, and guardianship. Preparation for each case begins with the "initial intake" and ends with representation which may take the form of a hearing, informal negotiation, or the preparation of a legal document.
Legal Advocacy for Patients - Operating as a small law firm, this clinical course focuses on the legal representation of clients dealing with the impact of serious medical diagnoses. Although many of our client's diagnoses have been cancer or HIV/AIDS, we have recently expanded our client base to include others with physical disabilities. Typical areas of representation include but are not limited to public benefits, medical insurance, life planning, etc. Our goal is to provide quality legal services to poor people with medical issues or disabilities in North Philadelphia. Students will be will be directly responsible for the legal representation of clients at all stages of their cases. In addition to applying general research, writing, and accumulated legal knowledge to real clients' cases, students will learn the following: How to effectively and professionally interact with clients; How to develop a shared definition of problems with clients and how to identify which problems have practical legal solutions; How to analyze typical problems of our client base, and how to research and analyze problems that are not ones with which students are currently competent; How to represent clients before administrative law judges and other administrative officers.
The bulk of our direct representation is in administrative hearings for SSI cases before administrative law judges. While every effort is made to provide each student with the opportunity to handle at least one hearing, this will depend on the status of the individual cases.
Although most of the work is direct client advocacy, students will also be expected to do community outreach. You may also look at legislation as it effects our clients, and consider what advocacy steps a lawyer might take to affect legislation to help our clients.
Representing Charitable Organizations - Working with the Law School's Center for Community Nonprofit Organizations, students provide general legal representation to nonprofit organizations working to improve the physical, social, and economic environments of Philadelphia area low-income communities. Students deal with a wide array of transactional legal matters including: choice of entity, incorporation, governing documents, application for tax exempt status, leases, contracts, application for exemption from real estate and sales tax, and employment and corporate counseling, and general real estate development assistance.
Duties will include interviewing clients, counseling clients concerning choice of entity, drafting documents, legal research, education of clients and community members concerning the nature of nonprofit corporations, the roles and responsibilities of board members, tax filings under §501(C)(3), and other community development topics.
Ideally, each intern will complete the interview, incorporation, bylaws, and application for tax exemption for a client during the semester.
Temple Legal Aid Office Family Law - The substantive area of law is primarily domestic relations,(e.g. child custody, support, paternity, adoptions). Classroom discussions emphasize professional responsibility in the everyday practice of law as well as the procedural aspects of family law practice in Philadelphia. Interns are encouraged to develop the habit of reflecting on the preparations and execution of significant events in the life of a case as a means of ongoing growth as a practitioner.
Interns will conduct initial consultation interviews with prospective clients and prepare an Intake Memorandum for the case file with a recommendation on acceptance of the matter by TLAO. The Intake Memo and recommendation will be discussed with the Supervising Attorney before a decision to accept a case is made. Interns will identify the legal issues relevant to the case and conduct research as appropriate to support a recommendation for TLAO action on the case. Typically, there is opportunity for negotiation with opposing counsel, drafting correspondence and pleadings, as well as representing clients in court proceedings. Each intern is expected to take primary responsibility for cases assigned during the semester, although the Supervising Attorney is professionally responsible as the Attorney of Record for each client. Interns are expected to attend any court appearance scheduled for an assigned case and cannot leave the court until the conclusion of the matter even if it extends beyond the normal scheduled time for the clinical.
Temple Legal Aid Office: Domestic Relations Mediation - This clinical offers students an opportunity to be trained in mediation skills and to obtain experience conducting mediation sessions with actual disputants referred by the Family Court. Students will assist disputants explore and develop their own options to resolve disputes rather than resort to litigation. Duties include explaining the goals and rules of mediation, interviewing the clients in the context of the mediation sessions and drafting the memorandum of agreement for the disputants at the conclusion of the mediation session as may be needed. The focus of the clinical will be to introduce students to an alternative method of resolving disputes as applied in the domestic relations context.
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Texas Tech University School of Law
Low Income Tax Clinic
The Low Income Tax Clinic began operation in September of 2000 and is offered as a full year 4 credit hours graded course during the Fall and Spring semesters (2 credit hours per semester), as well as a 2 credit hour graded course during the summer sessions (students must enroll for both summer sessions). Professor Vaughn E. James assumed the responsibilities of the Clinic Director in June 2008. The clinic enrolls 8 to 10 advanced students each semester by application and invitation only. The tax clinic is funded by a matching grant from the Internal Revenue Service, and it provides legal help to taxpayers with incomes equal to or less than 250% of the federal poverty level in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service.
The Clinic does not prepare returns or handle normal audit situations. However, the clinic students will provide assistance in all areas involving collection disputes, including, but not limited to: levy and seizure action, summonses, innocent spouse applications, offers in compromise, payment agreements, lien releases, and trust fund recovery penalties as well as, representation in cases before the United States Tax Court. Students develop important lawyering skills by interviewing and counseling clients, conducting factual investigations, legal research and analysis, negotiating compromises, drafting documents and litigating.
Civil Practice Clinic
The Civil Practice Clinic is a full year graded clinical course (four credit hours each semester) limited to third year law students who are given responsibility to represent actual clients with their legal problems. Students represent clients in a range of substantive areas including family law, public benefits, civil rights, consumer, housing, and estate planning. To the extent possible, the caseload reflects areas of interest to participating students.
Students handle cases from beginning to end, taking full responsibility for client cases and learn lawyering skills at both the practical and theoretical level through individualized instruction in the lawyering process in a closely supervised setting while also providing legal services to low-income clients in the community who would otherwise lack access to legal services. In order to provide a quality educational experience for students, the Civil Clinic undertakes a limited number of cases, selected in close consultation with and through referral from Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. With a small caseload, students have the opportunity to thoroughly investigate and prepare client matters entrusted to them and make independent judgments in a supervised clinical setting while reflecting on the strategic decisions they make and advocacy skills utilized that will promote their future development as a highly effective and ethical professional.
Within the Civil Practice Clinic, students are given direct responsibility for handling all phases of client representation which may include interviewing and counseling clients, investigating facts, developing case strategy, negotiating with parties and counsel, drafting pleadings and legal documents, and representing clients in court and before administrative agencies. The Civil Practice Clinic was initiated in the fall semester of 2001 and consists of two sections. A maximum of 16 students (8 students per section) are selected for the Civil Practice Clinic each semester.
Criminal Defense Clinic
The Criminal Defense Clinic is a full year graded clinical course (four credit hours each semester) limited to third year law students. The Criminal Defense Clinic provides a community service by accepting court appointments to represent defendants in criminal cases who would otherwise be unable to afford their own legal representation. Cases involve misdemeanors, felonies, and juvenile offenses in Lubbock County and the surrounding metropolitan area. Students are closely supervised at all stages of their cases by Associate Professor Patrick S. Metze. The clinic also works closely with members of the local and state bars to expose students to professional development, networking, and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) opportunities while still in law school.
By the end of the course, each student will have represented 6-8 clients. Students are fully responsible for their cases, from intake through disposition. The classroom component of the clinic focuses on skills development, ethics, and case strategy related to criminal law. Students also have the opportunity to hone their writing skills by drafting motions and appellate briefs.
Capital Punishment Clinic
The Capital Punishment Clinic is offered as a one semester graded course during the Spring semester. Participants earn four credit hours. Participants are limited to third year law students and a maximum of 4 students are selected for this clinic. The Capital Punishment Clinic provides a community service by giving the student the opportunity to assist in the representation of defendants charged with capital murder. Upon application, four students will be invited to participate to work with the West Texas Public Defenders Office for Capital Cases located in Lubbock. This is the first Public Defenders Office of its type in Texas and is the prototype for representation of those accused of capital crimes. The students will work with the attorneys, mitigators, investigators and other professionals in helping to represent those facing the death penalty using cutting edge techniques and applying their legal education to a wide variety of activities including investigation, interviewing clients and witnesses, legal research, legal writing, restorative justice, criminal procedure and substantive criminal law.
The classroom component will continue the student’s study of capital punishment jurisprudence focusing on skills development, ethics, and case strategy in real on-going capital cases. This clinic requires a significant commitment of time which will return a unique, experiential opportunity for third year students as they approach the end of their legal education.
Advanced ADR Clinic
The Advanced Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) clinic provides instruction to students which qualifies as the 40 hour basic mediation training course in Texas. Through classroom instruction and simulations, students will examine the issues, principles and skills necessary to the use of mediation as a method of conflict resolution. Each student will have the opportunity to observe and mediate actual disputes through the Dispute Resolution Center.
The Advanced ADR Clinic is a one-semester, three credit hour graded clinical course limited to 18 students.
Health Care and Bioethics Mediation Clinic
This is a 4 credit hour graded course which is offered during the Fall semester. This course and clinic gives students an opportunity to develop their communication, facilitation, and mediation skills. Through reading, simulated exercises, field work, and live co-mediations, students will learn the law, ethics, and procedures involved in mediating disputes. The study and work will focus on problems and disputes that arise in health care settings, including those that arise pre-admission, during hospitalization/ residency, immediately before discharge, and post-discharge. The issues may relate to conflicts between patients, their families, and providers. The actual matters handled will depend on referrals and approvals from participating hospitals and nursing homes. The students’ training will satisfy the 40 hour requirement for Texas mediators. The course is limited to nine (9) students.
Innocence Project Clinic
The Innocence Project Clinic is offered as a full year 4 credit hours course during the Fall and Spring semesters (2 credit hours per semester), as well as a 2 credit hour course during the summer sessions (students must enroll for both summer sessions). Grading is pass/fail. The clinic is limited to 15 students for the Fall/Spring semesters (must enroll for both) and 15 students for the summer sessions (must enroll for both summer sessions).
Each law student is assigned between 5-10 cases during a semester. Each student is in charge of doing an investigation and making a determination of actual innocence. From that determination, consideration is given as to the remedies to which may include an application for a writ of habeas corpus or a clemency petition.
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
Law Clinic – Specializing in family law and social security disability, http://law.txwes.edu/CurrentStudents/ExperientialPrograms/LawClinic/tabid/224/Default.aspx
Thomas Jefferson School of Law: Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Cooley believes students immersed in a dynamic, hands on learning environment study and understand the law more fully and are better prepared to serve their clients. Cooley requires each student to complete an intense clinical or externship experience. The requirement can be met by participating in an in-house legal clinic or at an approved off campus externship site. Students may apply for clinic courses once they have accumulated 40 credit hours.
The Innocence Project is a statutorily-authorized law school clinic having the dual mission to identify, provide legal assistance to, and secure the release of persons who are wrongfully imprisoned for crimes they did not commit and to provide its students with an excellent learning experience. It is the only such project in the state of Michigan. Its funding is provided by the law school.
The Sixty-Plus Elderlaw Clinic is a live-client clinic serving the indigent and near-indigent elderly in the preparation of wills, powers of attorney, medical health directives; public benefit issues including social security, Medicare, and Medicaid; cases of personal rights including divorce and grandparent visitation; property issues including landlord/tenant disputes and real estate transactions; consumer rights issues including consumer contracts, fraudulent acts, and debt collection prosecution or defense; probate matters including guardianships and conservatorships and probating of decedent's estate. Its funding is provided by the law school and by the City of East Lansing, Ingham County, and the Tri-County Office on Aging.
Cooley has Estate Planning Clinics at both the Lansing and Auburn Hills campuses. Students work with elderly clients on wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives for persons with small to moderate estates. The Lansing clinic partners with the Sixty-Plus Elderlaw Clinic and the Auburn Hills campus partners with Lakeshore Legal Aid.
In the Public Defenders Clinic students work on a variety of criminal cases (misdemeanors and felonies) in the Washtenaw County District and Circuit Courts and juvenile cases (delinquency, abuse, and neglect) in the Washtenaw County Probate Court, and participate in a contemporaneous seminar class.
The Family Law Assistance Project The Access to Justice Clinic Cooley’s Public Sector Law Clinic
A related effort at the Grand Rapids campus involves Cooley’s partnership with the Grand Rapids Bar Association and Kent County to operate the Legal Assistance Center, which has helped over 50,000 unrepresented persons obtain the legal forms and information to navigate the courts. Over one thousand patrons visit the Kent County Courthouse-based Center every month, where they are served by a Cooley staff attorney and students, other volunteers, and a full-time paralegal staff. Spanish-speaking staff is available. Most of the Center’s assistance is for family-law matters, but the Center also assists with landlord-tenant matters, expunging criminal convictions, consumer disputes, and a host of other legal matters commonly experienced by low-income residents who cannot afford an attorney.
Touro College: Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center
Civil Rights Litigation I & II – Civil Rights Litigation Clinic offers hands-on experience litigating civil rights claims in both state and federal courts. Since 1989, this clinic has been a leading force in the movement to provide protection and advocacy for those who have been diagnosed as mentally ill. The clinic represents current and former residents of psychiatric facilities, enforcing significant constitutional and statutory rights, in areas such as forced treatment, abuse and neglect, unlawful confinement, civil commitment, and discharge planning. Many of the clinic's cases are on the cutting edge of the law, setting new standards for patients' rights and requiring the application of broader civil rights laws.
Students are introduced to the complexities of civil rights law and litigation by protecting and advancing the rights of the mentally ill and the disabled. Learning from faculty with nationally recognized expertise in mental health law gives students solid training in litigation strategies and techniques, as well as the creative dimension of expanding the law.
A minimum of ten (10) hours of clinical work is required, in addition to a weekly seminar that concentrates on developing the skills needed in civil rights litigation. Through simulations and mock exercises the seminar prepares students for the tasks they will undertake on behalf of clients.
Criminal Law Clinic – Students in the Criminal Law Clinic work approximately twelve (12) to fifteen (15) hours per week at a District Attorney's or Public Defender's Office in the New York City metropolitan area, under the supervision of the clinic's director and an attorney at the placement.
While observing the workings of the criminal justice system first-hand, students participate in all phases of criminal prosecution or defense. They attend arraignments; assist with bail motions and hearings; interview clients and witnesses; examine evidence, including crime scenes; conduct legal research and draft briefs and other legal documents; and attend pre-trial proceedings, trials, and sentencing hearings.
Discussions in the weekly three-hour seminar are based upon readings, simulations, and students' experiences at their placements, with particular scrutiny of the political, social, economic, and psychological factors that frequently determine the outcome of criminal prosecutions. Experiences in the criminal justice system offer compelling lessons in the ethical problems that are woven throughout criminal law practice. With insight gained from real-life experiences in the criminal courts, students grapple with these dilemmas as they learn practical skills and evaluate aspects of justice or the failure of justice in the criminal courts.
Elder Law Clinic (5 credits) – The Elder Law Clinic introduces students to the unique challenges of practicing law on behalf of the elderly, while also providing training in basic law practice skills. As the elderly population has increased, the field of elder law has become a growing specialty, demanding more sophisticated expertise to advise and assist clients effectively.
Under the supervision of experienced faculty, students spend twelve (12) to fifteen (15) hours per week advising and representing senior clients in a wide range of legal matters in courts, administrative agencies, and negotiation settings. Through their work, students experience law practice in the larger context of social, supportive, and advocacy services for the elderly. Students also develop an appreciation for the role of lawyers and legal institutions in protecting rights and enhancing the quality of life of the aging population.
While the focus is on serving elderly clients, students gain practical legal training in interviewing, counseling, negotiation, drafting, and advocacy, while providing legal advice and representation in areas such as health care, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, wills, consumer issues, elder abuse, and age discrimination.
The clinic includes a weekly seminar, which features an interdisciplinary approach through insights from the fields of sociology, gerontology, psychology, and health facilities administration. The seminar is also the setting for practicing essential professional skills, using simulated problems or problems drawn from current cases to prepare for activities in actual cases.
Family Law – The Family Law Clinic offers students the opportunity to learn family law practice from a variety of perspectives, including litigation, negotiation, and court proceedings. Working seventeen (17) to twenty (20) hours a week under the supervision of experienced faculty and practitioners, students represent clients in divorce litigation, child support enforcement, and family offense proceedings.
Although the focus is on family law issues, the Clinic also provides training in skills applicable to the practice of law generally. Through an intensive training program supplemented by a weekly seminar, students learn to interview clients; investigate and develop relevant facts; negotiate on behalf of clients; draft litigation documents; and handle in-court proceedings, including divorce, child support, and domestic violence cases.
To prepare for their responsibilities, students participate in an intensive training program at the start of the semester, covering the dynamics of family violence, the social and psychological dimensions of domestic abuse, the system of shelters and social services available to victims, and the police and criminal court procedures involved in the response to domestic violence. Students also learn special skills needed to interview and counsel clients who have endured these traumas.
Because protecting victims of family violence is a major focus of the clinic's mission, students spend one day each week in Family Court, where they interview and represent clients seeking court protection. Whether they secure a negotiated agreement or a court order after a trial, students experience the satisfaction of knowing that by obtaining an order of protection, excluding the batterer from the home or confiscating a weapon, their efforts have gained the client a measure of safety.
International Human Rights Clinic – The International Human Rights-Immigration Litigation Clinic provides students with experience representing clients who have applied for political and other forms of asylum in the United States. Students interview applicants and witnesses, engage expert witnesses, prepare asylum applications, and represent clients before courts and the United States Department of Justice in both hearings and appeals.
Students counsel clients seeking protection from imprisonment, torture, summary execution, and abuse by oppressive governments. Most recently, a majority of the clinic's clients have been refugees from Tibet, where the Chinese occupation and systematic destruction of the Tibetan religion, language, and culture have created a growing number of monks, nuns, political protestors, and ordinary citizens seeking asylum in the United States. Participation in the clinic teaches students to be both competent technicians in this demanding field and compassionate counselors to clients who have endured great torment.
This clinic pioneered the development of programs designed to meet the needs of evening students. The clinic is designed so that almost all work-including interviewing clients and witnesses, gathering evidence, and meeting with faculty supervisors-can be performed during the evening hours and on weekends. Litigation or administrative representation takes place during normal working hours; however, students usually spend no more than one day each semester at judicial or administrative proceedings.
Students work a minimum of ten (10) hours per week on clients' cases, and attend a weekly seminar, discussing progress, problems, issues, ethical concerns, and strategy in on-going cases. Seminar meetings also provide instruction and simulated practice in the advocacy techniques essential to asylum litigation.
Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Rotation – The Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Rotation places students with Nassau/Suffolk Law Services, Inc., a private, not-for-profit law firm that provides free legal assistance in civil matters to low-income individuals. The rotation is an intensive experience, designed to train students in a broad range of practice skills. Each student is given the opportunity to learn such essential lawyering skills as interviewing, fact development, case management, negotiating, counseling, drafting, and representing clients at administrative or judicial proceedings.
Nassau/Suffolk Law Services is well known both for the breadth and quality of its services. Students may be placed in units covering such areas of the law as housing, domestic violence, disability, welfare, consumer, family, or elder law. Because students work twenty (20) hours each week in the rotation, they become an integral part of the office and are given significant responsibility for cases. Under guidelines established by the courts, students can advise clients and appear in judicial proceedings, so the rotation affords an environment in which to strengthen and refine law practice skills.
Students meet once a week for a two-hour faculty-led seminar, which provides the opportunity to discuss substantive and ethical issues arising in their field placements.
Not-For-Profit Clinic – The Not-for-Profit Corporation Law Clinic is dedicated to assisting community groups and non-profit organizations. These entities provide a large and important array of services in any community: health care; education; children's programs; senior citizens' services; advocacy for disadvantaged groups; recreational and entertainment projects; and much more. Whether long-established or recently formed to address an emerging problem, both the organizations and their staff and board members need sound legal advice to function properly, fulfill legal requirements, and carry out their charitable purposes.
The clinic enables students to engage in the practice of basic corporate and non-profit law while helping community groups accomplish important goals. Under the supervision of experienced faculty, students advise groups on appropriate forms of organization to accomplish their goals. They also provide ongoing legal services in matters such as creation of corporate structure and by-laws; application for tax-exempt status; compliance with federal, state, and local laws; government filings; fundraising; advice on board and volunteer liability; restrictions on lobbying; and other actions of the organization.
Clinic students work an average of eight (8) hours each week on client matters typically in the evenings; they also participate in a weekly seminar covering the laws and procedures that apply to the non-profit groups and corporations. (Evening division students receive enrollment preference.)
Tulane University: Tulane University School of Law
Public Interest Clinics http://www.law.tulane.edu/uploadedFiles/PublicInterest_Brochure.pdf
Environmental Law Clinic– http://www.law.tulane.edu/tlsAcademicPrograms/index.aspx?id=4182&terms=environmental+law+clinicUniversity at Buffalo Law School, SUNY
Affordable Housing Clinic – The Affordable Housing Clinic was one of the first nationally to train students in the full range of skills needed to plan, fund, construct, and manage decent, affordable low-income housing.
- In nine years, the Affordable Housing Clinic has obtained financing of more than $24 million for the construction of 350 units of affordable housing in Western New York.
- The Clinic is a regional leader in developing tax-credit financing arrangements.
- The Clinic's clients include Catholic Charities of Buffalo, The Blind Association, The Polish Community Center, and the Town of Hamburg.
Community Economic Development Clinic – The Community Economic Development Clinic helps community groups who are seeking not-for-profit status, and entrepreneurs who are working to create viable businesses in the inner city and other economically depressed areas.
- The Clinic has made affordable day care a program priority. It has assisted a community-based project that is providing high quality day care to single mothers, and devised strategies to make it more feasible for the private sector to provide affordable child care for low-income families.
Environment and Development Clinic – The Environment and Development Clinic focus on the problem of re-developing "brownfields" sites Ń polluted urban properties that have not been fully cleaned up.
- Clinic students have authored a comprehensive report on the legal status of brownfields sites for a joint New York State Legislative Commission, assisted local municipalities in implementing pilot projects, and developed model legislation. http://www.law.buffalo.edu/research/Clinical_Public_Service/clinic.html
- The Clinic has assisted local police departments in implementing pro-arrest policies for dealing with family violence.
- The Clinic researched and published a resource manual for agencies helping victims of family violence in Niagara County. The manual is being expanded for statewide distribution. http://www.law.buffalo.edu/research/Clinical_Public_Service/clinic.html
Special Education Law Clinic – The Education Law Clinic has assisted thousands of disabled children seeking to enforce their legal rights to an effective and appropriate education.
- Clinic staff and students have worked closely with the parents of disabled children to train lay advocates. They have also advised school districts on issues of policy affecting the disabled.
William and Mary Foster Elder Law Clinic – The William and Mary Foster Elder Law Clinic develops strategies to maximize government benefits and private insurance coverage to meet the long-term health care needs of the elderly.
- The Clinic's efforts ensure that elderly persons receive all of the benefits they are entitled to under the federal Medicare program have saved state and local taxpayers millions of dollars in locally funded Medicaid benefits, and have expanded the resources available for the disabled elderly.
- The Clinic organized and administers the Coalition of Medicaid Advocates (COMA), a statewide professional group dedicated to continuing education of lawyers and others who represent the elderly. The Clinic and its director have also advised the Governor and the State legislature on health care law and policy.
University of Akron: C. Blake McDowell Law Center
The Legal Clinic provides assistance to low income clients in the following specialty clinics:
Appellate Review Office: provides clients with legal representation on appeals in state and federal criminal and civil rights cases.
Trial Litigation Clinic: provides clients with misdemeanor criminal defense.
Small Entrepreneur and Economic Development (SEED) Legal Clinic: provides low-cost legal and business assistance to small and emerging businesses in the local community. This assistance includes business planning, employment, contract/lease, tax, and entity formation information.
Civil Litigation Clinic: provides low-income clients with legal representation in housing matters, including landlord/tenant and foreclosure actions.
The Clemency Project: provides legal assistance to low-income clients in their efforts to obtain a pardon of their convictions from the Governor of Ohio.
Prisoner Legal Assistance Clinic: provides general legal information on criminal and civil issues.
Jail Inmate Assistance Program: travels to local county jails, interviews inmates and provides general legal information on criminal and civil issues.
For further information, see http://www.uakron.edu/law/clinical/services.dot
University of Alabama: University of Alabama School of Law
Capital Defense Clinic
Students in this clinic assist counsel representing individuals who are facing capital charges or have been sentenced to death.
Civil Law Clinic
Students provide free legal advice and representation to university students in civil cases and to members of the community unable to secure legal services, through referral or by application on case by case basis.
Community Development Clinic
Students provide legal assistance to individuals and non-profit or community organizations seeking to improve the economic, cultural, social, or environmental well-being of disadvantaged or underserved communities.
Criminal Defense Clinic
Students represent indigent clients through the Tuscaloosa County Public Defender’s Office in all phases of the criminal justice system.
Domestic Violence Clinic
Students provide free legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in a seven county area of West Alabama.
Elder Law Clinic
Students represent individuals aged 60 and over in matters such as Medicare, Medicaid and other public benefits; protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation; advance directives and durable powers of attorney; the drafting of wills; consumer fraud; and a broad array of other civil matters.
Mediation Law Clinic
Students provide individuals with free mediation services who have cases in family courts in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.
University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
Child Advocacy Law – Students represent children in the Pima County Juvenile Court and, on occasion, in Domestic Relations Court. They have primary responsibility for court appearances, negotiations, pleadings and all other lawyering decisions in proceedings dealing with child abuse and neglect, termination of parental rights, guardianship, foster care and adoption. They also work on special education issues for children in foster care. http://www.law.arizona.edu/Depts/Clinics/CAC/index2.html
Domestic Violence Law Clinic – The Clinic offers free legal advice and representation to survivors of domestic abuse.
Working with instructors and volunteer lawyers, and Masters of Social Work students, students interview clients on-site at domestic violence shelters, and provide legal advice and social service referrals.
Students provide various legal services, including: (a) representation at contested Order of Protection hearings; (b)representation of survivors who have used methods of self-protection against their abusers and are then arrested and charged with crimes; (c) victim representation during criminal prosecution of their abusers; (d) representation at contested divorce and child custody proceedings when welfare of children is at risk. http://www.law.arizona.edu/Depts/Clinics/DVC/
Immigration Law Clinic – Students interview clients undergoing proceedings in Immigration Court, assist them in evaluating their cases and preparing applications for "relief" from deportation. Most clients are political asylum applicants or long-term legal permanent residents seeking humanitarian waivers of deportation. Most 6-unit students represent a client at a final removal hearing before a local immigration judge and, occasionally, students may work on, and even argue, 9th Circuit cases. http://www.law.arizona.edu/Depts/Clinics/ILC/
Indigenous People's Law Clinic – Under auspices of the Indigenous People's Law and Policy Program, students provide domestic and international legal assistance to Indigenous peoples of the world. The Clinic has a court appointed guardian-ad-litem program for the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation, which involves representation of abused and neglected children before their tribal courts in dependency proceedings. Students have worked in such areas as Native Hawaiian Sovereignty, Tribal Environmental Law, Tribal Probate, Criminal Code, Cultural Protection, Rules of Court Legislation, Legal Research for Tribal Judges, International Intellectual Property and Human Rights Advocacy, Reorganization of Tribal Criminal Justice Systems, Foreign Trade Zone and Tribal Economic Development, Trail Tort Claims Legislation, Litigation Based Support for Federal Court Cases Involving Treat and Other Tribal Rights. The clinic has also served as consultant for the O'odham in Mexico involving land claims and immigration,and provided legal resources to the Tarahumara and Tepehuan Indians in Mexico. www.law.arizona.edu/depts/iplp/advocacy/index.cfm?page=advoc
University of Arkansas at Little Rock: William H. Bowen School of Law
Litigation Clinic
Mediation Clinic
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic
University of Arkansas School of Law
Advanced Mediation Clinic: The Advanced Mediation Clinic currently provides mediation for civil cases referred from the Circuit Court of Benton and Washington counties, (e.g. domestic relations, contract, probate, and juvenile (Dependency-Neglect, Families In Need of Services-FINS)), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Veterans Administration. Students co-mediate with a professor and trained mediator volunteers from the community
The classroom component consists of two-hour bi-weekly class sessions during which students discuss the mediations that have occurred, the law involved, and assigned readings from mediation literature to deepen their understanding of the field. Mediations are scheduled throughout the week. The Mediation Clinic is limited to six students and is offered in the fall semester.
Criminal Defense Clinic: Students are licensed under Arkansas Supreme Court Rule XV ( to see complete information on how a student qualifies visit: http://courts.state.ar.us/opinions/1998a/980115/rule-xv.txt) and represent juveniles charged with delinquency in Washington County Circuit Court - Juvenile Division. Students represent clients in all phases of cases. Cases are transferred to the clinic from the Washington County Public Defender’s Office and include felonies and misdemeanors.
Criminal Prosecution Clinic: Students in the Criminal Prosecution Clinic appear on behalf of the City of Fayetteville in Fayetteville District Court by special arrangement with the City Prosecutor’s office. Student attorneys will be assigned 15 to 20 misdemeanor cases on each of three or four separate court days during the semester. They handle all phases of the cases assigned to them, including pretrial otions and negotiations, trial, and sentencing. This clinic is offered in the Spring semester.
Civil Clinic: Student attorneys in the Civil Clinic represent individual clients in a wide range of civil matters. The majority of cases accepted by the Civil Clinic involve some aspect of family law including: divorce, post divorce modification or enforcement of custody, visitation and support obligations, defense of contempt actions, emancipation of minors, and representation in family-in-need-of-services petitions filed by the Department of Human Services. Other types of cases which might be accepted include consumer contract disputes, landlord-tenant cases, wills, trusts and other end of life representation, incorporation and tax exemption representation of charitable organizations, and representation of disabled individuals in appeals from denial or reduction of Medicaid benefits.
Federal Clinic: Student Attorneys in the Federal Clinic handle primarily no-asset bankruptcies, appearing pro hac vice. Representation begins with an eligibility assessment and includes counseling the client on the decision to pursue bankruptcy as opposed to alternative approaches. If the client elects to seek bankruptcy, the student attorney prepares and files all pleadings and schedules, attends the first meeting of creditors, and responds to any objections or motions by the Trustee of creditors. Student Attorneys in the Federal Clinic also represent individuals in matters before various federal agencies. This clinic is offered in the Fall and Spring semesters.
General Practice Clinic: The General Practice Clinic replicates the experience students are likely to encounter in establishing a solo practice or joining a general practice law firm in Arkansas and the surrounding states. This clinic is offered only during the summer. Student attorneys in the General Practice Clinic represent clients in the civil, criminal, and federal courts in Northwest Arkansas. Beginning with how to interview, the skills emphasized include fact investigation, case theory development, motion practice, discovery, negotiations, and trial practice. Students are licensed under Arkansas Supreme Court Rule XV (to see complete information on how a student qualifies visit: http://courts.state.ar.us/opinions/1998a/980115/rule-xv.txt) and appear as the attorney of record for client. All student legal work is supervised, reviewed, and critiqued by clinical faculty with substantial practice experience. Judges and clients also give feedback on student performance.
Students handle bankruptcy cases, federal administrative matters, defense of juveniles accused of criminal acts of delinquency, civil cases including landlord-tenant law (unlawful detainer actions), domestic cases (divorce, adoption, paternity actions, and child custody), consumer law (contract, fraud, replevin, probate, tort, and contempt), or represent a charitable non-profit in a transactional legal matter.
Immigration Clinic: The Immigration Law Clinic provides opportunities for students preparing for a career in immigration law or general practice by developing skills that are critical in legal practice through an experiential learning model. Working under the supervision of a clinical faculty member, students enrolled in the Immigration Law Clinic represent sectors of the immigrant population for graded credit. The Clinic is divided into a seminar component and a practical component. The seminar l provides basic legal knowledge in substantive immigration law and subjects specific to representing individuals in Immigration Court, such as working with interpreters and the impact of the administrative nature of the court system. In the practical aspect of the clinic, students represent clients before the Citizenship and Immigration Services, Executive Office for Immigration Review, and potentially work on appellate cases in the Federal Circuit Court.
The Innocence Project: The Innocence Project is a clinic dedicated to exonerating wrongly convicted persons. In proving the actual innocence of its clients, the Innocence Project relies heavily on scientific evidence, including DNA tests. Students also may have cases that involve proof of innocence based on new evidence, false testimony, or other bases for wrongful convictions. Students are licensed under Arkansas Supreme Court Rule XV and are assigned cases of currently incarcerated individuals with innocence claims. Students work on all phases of the case from initial intake, case review and eligibility, to building the case, and beyond. This clinic is offered in Fall and Spring semesters as well as during the Summer session.
Transactional Clinic: Transactional Clinic students receive clinical experience counseling and representing non-profit organizations serving Northwest Arkansas in a wide range of non-litigation business law matters. Students learn how to initiate a startup of a non-profit, incorporate that non-profit, obtain federal and state tax exemptions, handle paperwork for purchase and lease of real and personal property, deal with employment and labor law issues, and learn general contract negotiation, drafting, and execution. In addition, students may prepare and participate as presenters in a workshop on matters of general interest to non-profit organizations. Legal Clinic faculty supervise and review student attorneys’ work and provide personal feedback to individual student attorneys.
Representing Those in Need: In 2008, the School of Law Legal Clinic provided representation in 720 legal matters. During the 2007-2008 academic year, a student in the Civil Clinic helped a client obtain legal custody of a child who was abandoned by his parents, and another student attorney in the following semester took up the case and helped the client complete the adoption of the child. A student attorney in the Federal Clinic helped a couple keep the family home they were about to lose. Student attorneys in the Transactional Clinic incorporated and obtained tax-exempt status for new charitable organizations serving our community and region. The Legal Clinic provides a much-needed resource for the community, and its tradition of service will continue.
University of Baltimore School of Law
University of California - Irvine School of Law
University of California - Los Angeles
University of California at Davis: University of California at Davis School of Law
- Immigration Clinic
- Civil Rights Clinic
- Prison Law Clinic
- Family Law Clinic
University of California, Berkeley: University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
Berkeley Law Offers several faculty-supervised clinics and projects.
- The Death Penalty Clinic has a three-fold mission: offer law students a rich opportunity for hands-on training; seek justice for individual clients by providing them with the highest quality representation on appeal and in post-conviction proceedings; and expose and tackle problems endemic to the administration of the death penalty.
- The East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC)is the community-based component of Berkeley Law's Clinical Program. EBCLC was founded by Berkeley Law students in 1988 to provide legal services to low-income and underrepresented members of the community near the law school.
- The International Human Rights Law Clinicallows students to design and implement creative solutions to advance the global struggle for the protection of human rights.
- The Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic offers law students the opportunity to learn about lawyering, government institutions and the complexities involved in technology-related law, while also providing representation to individuals, nonprofits, and consumer groups that could not otherwise obtain counsel. Students participating in the Clinic play an integral role in defining how civil liberties and other public values will be protected in an increasingly high-tech world.
Links to clinical websites can be found at: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/clinics.htm
- Through the Domestic Violence Law Practicum, students work in one of several civil or criminal domestic violence legal agencies in the Bay Area, or with the instructor on state legislation. Students may also work on post-conviction issues faced by battered women in state prisons and employment issues affecting victims of domestic violence. For more information on the DV Practicum, please visit http://www.law.berkeley.edu/4145.htm
- In the New Business Counseling Practicum, students learn and apply a broad range of knowledge in law and business related to the development of new businesses, through classroom learning, field trips, participating in simulations, and through providing hands-on assistance with real business start-ups (non-profit and for-profit).
University of California-Hastings College of the Law
Hastings in-house Civil Justice Clinic, with a full-time faculty of six, offers four different clinical courses, where students have frontline responsibility in representing individuals in specific civil cases, in assisting grass roots organizations and low-income groups on major social policy and community development issues, and in mediating disputes in San Francisco Superior Court.
Civil Justice Clinic offerings include:- Individual Representation Clinic
- Group Advocacy and Systemic Reform Clinic
- Community Economic Development Clinic
- Mediation Clinic
Hastings also offers an in-house Refugee & Human Rights Clinic where students work in partnership with the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, one of the nation's leading refugee advocacy organizations.
University of Chicago: University of Chicago Law School
The Law School is home to the Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinic (with projects that include a Civil Rights and Police Accountability Project, Criminal and Juvenile Justice Project, Employment Discrimination Project, Federal Criminal Justice Project, Housing Initiative, and a Mental Health Project), as well as the Immigrant Children’s Advocacy Project (a human service and policy advocacy program dedicated to advocating for the best interests of immigrant and refugee children who are alone in the United States), the Exoneration Project (which represents clients who have been convicted of crimes of which they are innocent), and the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship (a public interest organization devoted principally to expanding economic liberties and providing a range of legal services to local entrepreneurs in economically disadvantaged communities.).
These Clinical Programs ensure the growth of community service and that ensure practical education for students of the Law School. These clinical programs are located in the Law School's Arthur O. Kane Center for Clinical Legal Education, and together, they offer Chicago second and third year students opportunities to learn litigation, legislative advocacy and transactional skills through classroom instruction, simulation and representation of clients under the close supervision of the clinical teachers. For more information, see http://www.law.uchicago.edu/clinics
University of Cincinnati: University of Cincinnati College of Law
Domestic Violence Clinic
Sixth Circuit Practice Clinic
University of Colorado: School of Law
American Indian Law Clinic – Students gain faculty-supervised experience providing legal assistance in a variety of matters, including tribal sovereignty, child welfare, preservation of tribal identity, employment discrimination, public benefits, preservation of Native lands, and more.
Appellate Advocacy Clinic – Students are responsible for completing an appellate brief for a criminal case currently on appeal in the Colorado Supreme Court or the Colorado Court of Appeals and for attending the oral argument.
Civil Practice Clinic – Students represent low-income clients in family law, social security disability, and immigration asylum cases.
Legal Aid and Defender Clinic<– Students are taught basic criminal practice skills and represent clients in actual cases, from beginning to end, in municipal and county courts in Boulder County.
Entrepreneurial Law Clinic – Students work with local entrepreneurs, providing transactional legal services for the formation and development of small businesses in Colorado.
Juvenile Law Clinic – Students represent children and youth who are abused, neglected, or accused of a crime, addressing all of the legal needs of the child client. They also represent school districts as the petitioner in truancy matters. Students focus on advanced trial advocacy with a mock child welfare trial.
Natural Resources Litigation Clinic – Students represent public interest clients in environmental litigation related to federal public land protection. Students learn about expert testimony and witness preparation, analysis of detailed scientific and environmental data, and submission of complex legal briefs.
Technology Law and Policy Clinic – Students advocate in the public interest concerning technology issues in front of regulatory entities, courts, legislatures, and regulation setting bodies.
Wrongful Convictions Clinic – Students work with Colorado prisoners who assert that they have been wrongly convicted of a crime, review trial and hearing transcripts, read discovery, conduct research, and make recommendations as to whether the case should be pursued.
University of Connecticut: University of Connecticut School of Law
The Law School offers the following clinical programs:
- Advanced Administrative Fieldwork
- Administrative Clerkship
- Children's Advocacy
- Civil Rights
- Advanced Civil Rights
- Criminal Appellate Division
- Advanced Criminal Appellate Division
- Employment Discrimination Law
- Health Law
- Human Behavior
- Judicial Clerkship
- Legislative Clerkship
- Mediation
- Poverty Law
- Poverty Law Fieldwork
- Tax Law
- Advanced Taxation
- Women's Rights
- Criminal Trial Division
- Political Asylum
- Civil Appellate (Juvenile Justice/Child Protection)
- Urban Legal Development.
University of Dayton: University of Dayton School of Law
The School of Law's Clinic – The School of Law's Clinic accepts cases for those who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. In addition to working directly with clients, students enrolled in the credit-bearing clinic also take a class to develop skills.
University of Denver: Sturm College of Law
Center for Biological Diversity Environmental Law Clinic – The Clinic handles environmental impact litigation.
Child Advocacy Law Clinic – The Clinic provides representation to children in child abuse, domestic violence, guardianship, custody, and adoption proceedings.
Civil Litigation Clinic – Students represent clients facing a variety of civil litigation issues, including landlord/tenant, family, fair housing and asylum law. In addition to individual representation, students work with community organizations and on policy matters.
Civil Rights and Disability Law Clinic – Students have the opportunity to represent individuals and groups who have been discriminated against in settings such as employment, education, public entities and privately owned places of public accommodation.
Criminal Defense Clinic – Students represent clients charges with misdemeanors and city ordinance violations in almost every municipal and county court in the metropolitan area. Students also work on a variety of special projects, including the Parole, Interpreter and Innocence projects.
Low Income Tax Payers Clinic – Students represent low-income clients in controversies with the IRS and provide education and assistance in tax filing. This project is funded by a grant from the Internal Revenue Service.
Mediation/Arbitration Clinic – In this one semester course, students learn mediation skills, perform mediation simulations and mediate actual cases in the county court and in the SLO. Students learn lawyering skills such as communication, negotiation, problem-solving, and drafting documents.
Student Law Office – For further information on all clinics, see http://www.law.du.edu/clinics/
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
University of Florida: Fredric G. Levin College of Law
Child Welfare Legal Clinic – http://www.law.ufl.edu/centers/welfare/
Conservation – http://www.law.ufl.edu/conservation/
Criminal Clinics – State Attorney and Public Defender
Virgil Hawkins Civil Clinics –
- Full Representation Clinic
- Family Law Pro Se Clinic
- Gator TeamChild Juvenile Advocacy Clinic
- County Court Mediation Clinic
University of Georgia School of Law
- Legal Aid and Defender Clinic – Students work with staff attorneys to provide legal assistance to clients who cannot afford private representation. The office, which serves as the public defender in two counties, provides students with hands-on experience in matters ranging from misdemeanors to felony cases, including murder trials.
- Family Violence Clinic – Participants serve as lay advocates and student lawyers for the victims of family violence, both spouses and children. Students learn the art of civil litigation in a high intensity practice and engage in the thoughtful practice of law: interviewing, case and evidence preparation, counseling, negotiation and courtroom advocacy.
- Environmental Law Practicum – Law students collaborate with ecology students to protect one of the nation’s hot spots of biodiversity, the Upper Etowah River Basin. Students consult with area planners and developers to devise sustainable solutions to ecological concerns. They recently drafted legislation, signed into Georgia state law, to protect river corridors and farmland.
- Land Use Clinic – This clinic is pioneering growth management in Georgia by drafting model legislation to protect greenspace, promote alternative transportation and preserve farmland. Participants work with specific clients to protect natural resources and address other pressing growth and developmental issues as well as draft legislative policies to promote quality growth.
University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law
University of Houston Law Center
Civil Clinic - http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic
Clinical Externship - http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic
Consumer Law Clinic - http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic
Criminal Prosecution - http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic
Immigration Clinic - http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic
Mediation Clinic- http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic
University of Idaho: College of Law
Legal Aid Clinic – The College of Law offers six in-house clinics (collectively referred to as the "Legal Aid Clinic"): Appellate Clinic, General Practice Clinic, Tax Clinic, Tribal and Immigration Clinic, Small Business Legal Clinic, and the Victims' Rights Clinic. Students can take up to six credits in the Legal Aid Clinic.
Mini-clinics – The College of Law also has offered three mini-clinics or clinical labs this year: Bankruptcy Lab (a one-credit course which students in the regular Bankruptcy course could take to get practical experience); Children and the Law (a one-credit course associated with Family Law and Children and the Law seminar); and a one-credit Pro Se Clinic.
University of Illinois College of Law
The Civil Clinic
This Clinic offers students the opportunity to represent clients under the supervision of law professors in a model law office setting in numerous areas, including litigation, transactional, and international human rights matters. In addition to representing clients, students participate in the related seminar, which meets weekly.
The Appellate Defender Clinic
This Clinic involves attorneys from the Fourth District Office of the State Appellate Defender, who supervise law students preparing criminal appeals for clients of the office. Each student receives a transcript in a felony jury trial and will be primarily responsible for preparing an appellate brief in the case. Students who qualify for licenses under Supreme Court Rule 711 generally wil be able to argue their cases orally before the Illinois Appellate Court for the Fourth Judicial Circuit if oral argument is granted in that case.
Legislative Projects
This clinic provides students with the opportunity to work on projects with the Illinois State Legislature. Students in this class spend a number of hours in Springfield, Illinois, working with legislative workshops.
University of Iowa College of Law
UI College of Law Legal Clinic
Practice areas: assistive technology, consumer rights, criminal defense, disability rights, domestic violence, general civil, immigration
University of Kansas: School of Law
Criminal Prosecution Clinic - The program assigns students to work at various local prosecutors' offices, the state attorney general's office and offices of the United States Attorney. Student interns assist prosecutors in virtually all phases of the criminal process, including criminal trials and appeals.
Elder Law Externship - Students work under the supervision of experienced attorneys representing clients in matters such as income maintenance, social security, Medicare/Medicaid, and consumer protection.
Externship Clinic - This clinic provides students an opportunity to perform legal work under the supervision of a practicing attorney at pre-approved governmental agencies and public international organizations.
Family Health Care Legal Services Clinic - Students provide legal assistance to clients referred from the Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care Clinic in Kansas City, Kan. Cases may include health law, family law and immigration.
Immigration/Asylum Law Clinic - Students collaborate with the instructor on appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals. The clinic is designed to acquaint students with issues and procedures in immigration cases and to provide instruction in legal writing, research and analysis.
Judicial Clerkship Clinic - Students serve as law clerks for state and federal trial judges in the area. The clinic introduces students to the practice of law from a judge's perspective and gives students a practical understanding of the operation of the courts in which they serve.
Legal Aid Clinic - Students represent indigent citizens of Douglas County in settings including domestic relations, landlord-tenant disputes, and other civil actions. They also serve as public defenders in municipal court and juvenile court.
Legislative Clinic - Students are assigned as interns to state legislators during the spring legislative session.
Media Law Clinic - Students, under the supervision of the clinic director, respond to questions presented by lawyers, policy-makers, publishers, and others concerned with media law issues.
Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies - Students counsel and represent state and federal prisoners in appellate and post-conviction litigation in state and federal prisons.
Public Policy Clinic - Students in this clinic undertake policy studies in response to requests from public officials.
Tribal Judicial Support Clinic - Students provide research assistance in an array of projects ranging from tribal code development to drafting memoranda and orders.
University of Kentucky College of Law
University of Kentucky College of Law Legal Clinic
The Legal Clinic provides legal aid, under the supervision of a member of the College of Law faculty, to clients who qualify for the program because of their limited means. Because this program involves student practice under the limited practice rule, only third-year students are eligible to participate in the legal clinic.
University of Louisville: Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
None.
University of Maine School of Law
Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic http://mainelaw.maine.edu/academics/clinical-programs/clinical-clac.jsp
General Practice Clinic http://mainelaw.maine.edu/academics/clinical-programs/clinical-general-practice.jsp
Prisoner Assistance Clinic http://mainelaw.maine.edu/academics/clinical-programs/clinical-prisoner.jsp
Domestic Violence Program http://mainelaw.maine.edu/academics/clinical-programs/clinical-domestic.jsp
Summer Intern Programhttp://mainelaw.maine.edu/academics/clinical-programs/clinical-summer.jsp
Intellectual Property Clinic http://mainelaw.maine.edu/academics/clinical-programs/clinical-ip.jsp
University of Maryland: University of Maryland School of Law
http://www.law.umaryland.edu/programs/clinic/index.html
University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
Child and Family Litigation Clinic
Elder Law Clinic
Civil Litigation Clinic
University of Miami School of Law
Miami Law's clinics provide students with the opportunity to serve the public while exploring career possibilities and acquiring valuable legal skills. Current clinics include: Bankruptcy Assistance Clinic, Capital Defense Project, Children & Youth Law Clinic, Community Lawyering Clinic, Federal Appellate Clinic, Health & Elder Law Clinic, Human Rights Clinic, Immigration Clinic, Investor Rights Clinic, Miami Innocence Project, and Tenants’ Rights Clinic.
University of Michigan: University of Michigan Law School
Clinical experience is a key ingredient of the legal education available at Michigan Law School. Recognized as one of the best clinical programs in the country, for 30 years Michigan Law has offered a wide variety of clinics that take advantage of the full-time faculty's unique experience and our students' interests. Clinics provide practical opportunities and course credit at the same time. Students move beyond the theory of the classroom into the real-world practice of law.
Students can participate in the clinical program upon completion of their first year. Michigan Court Rules allow them to provide direct representation to clients in varying settings, always under the supervision of faculty. Students interview clients and witnesses, negotiate with opposing counsel, make legal arguments before judges and handle contested hearings. They develop expertise in client counseling, discovery, negotiation and mediation, legal writing, and trial skills.
Current legal practice opportunities include: housing, civil rights, child welfare, environmental protection, criminal defense, asylum, domestic violence, and poverty law.
As part of a public university, Michigan Law is committed to serving the community. Michigan Law School clinics are designed to help underserved populations who would otherwise not have access to high quality legal counsel. Michigan Law is the only law school in the country to co-direct a state support center for legal services to the poor. The Michigan Poverty Law Program (http://mplp.org/) is a joint effort between Legal Services of South Central Michigan and the University of Michigan Law School.
For more information, please visit http://www.law.umich.edu/centersandprograms/clinical/index.htm
University of Minnesota: University of Minnesota Law School
The U of M Law School offers programs of clinical education, with 17 diverse clinics. These clinics offer students opportunities to hone their legal skills and gain real-world experience with clients in a supportive setting. Nationwide, approximately 25% of law students participate in at least one clinic program, but at the U of M, more than 50% of law students participate in at least one clinic program. These students provide more than 18,000 hours of pro bono legal service to the Twin Cities community each year, primarily to lower-income individuals who otherwise would have difficulty obtaining representations. Under the Student Practice Rule adopted by the Minnesota Supreme Court, clinic students are permitted to represent clients in actual court and administrative agency proceedings under the supervision of clinic faculty. Clinics include: bankruptcy, child advocacy, civil practice, criminal appeals, environmental sustainability, federal defense, housing, immigration, Indian child welfare, innocence project, misdemeanor defense, misdemeanor prosecution, multi-profession business law, public interest law, special education, tax, and workers’ rights.
University of Mississippi School of Law
University of Missouri - Columbia: School of Law
Criminal Prosecution Clinic - under the supervision of a professor (who is also a Boone County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney), students in this clinic learn how to present a criminal case, how to conduct direct and cross examinations, and how to evaluate evidence. The clinic also focuses on the various issues that arise with each unique case. Cases include a broad range of misdemeanors and felonies. This clinic is one of a handful in United States law schools that allows students to prosecute felony cases
.Family Violence Clinic - In this clinic, students represent indigent victims of domestic violence. A professor leads the clinic, and a teaching fellow funded by Altria, Inc. provides assistance. Students appear in court on such matters as clemency petitions, and the students also draft and lobby for legislation concerning abused women, children, and families. This clinic participates in a funded research alliance with the University of Missouri - Columbia's School of Journalism and School of Medicine to examine the response to violence against women in rural Missouri communities.
Innocence Clinic - This is a joint clinic among the MU and UMKC law schools, the MU School of Journalism, and a non-profit group and is called The Midwestern Innocence Project. Law students will work under the supervision of the Clinic Director, a practicing lawyer, on cases of possible actual innocence from six states.
University of Missouri Kansas City University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law
- Child and Family Services Clinic, Tax Clinic
- Guardian Ad Litem Workshop
- Death Penalty Clinic
- Department of Labor Clinic
- Environmental Law Clinic
- Jackson County Prosecutor’s Clinic
- Legal Aid Clinic
- Missouri Attorney General Clinic
- NLRB Clinic, Public Defender Trial Clinic
- Social Security Administration Clinic
- U.S. Attorney’s Office Clinic
University of Montana: University of Montana School of Law
ACLU
ASUM Legal Services
Child Support Enforcement Clinic
County and City Attorneys Offices
Criminal Defense Clinic
DNRC Forestry & Trust Land Mgt. Div.
Federal Defenders
Indian Law Clinic
Innocence Project
Judicial
Montana Legal Services
National Wildlife Federation
Prosecution
Public Defender
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
U.S. Attorney’s Office
U.S. Department of Agriculture
University Legal Counsel
University of Nebraska: University of Nebraska College of Law
The College of Law offers a Civil In-house Clinic where students, under faculty supervision, represent indigent clients on a wide variety of matters. For more information, contact Professor Kevin Ruser at kruser1@unl.edu.
The Immigration Clinic is a course in which two students per year are permitted to enroll by faculty invitation only. Students enrolling in the Immigration Clinic represent low-income clients with immigration problems under close faculty supervision. Most of the work is in the areas of deportation defense, family-based immigrant visas, VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) self-petitions and asylum applications, although other types of immigration cases may be assigned to students from time to time at the discretion of the supervising faculty member.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas: William S. Boyd School of Law
Appellate Clinic – http://www.law.unlv.edu/clinic_appellate.html
Family Justice Clinic – http://www.law.unlv.edu/clinic_familylaw.html
Education Advocacy Clinic - http://www.law.unlv.edu/clinic_Education.html
Immigration Clinic - http://www.law.unlv.edu/clinic_immigration.html
Innocence Clinic - http://www.law.unlv.edu/clinic_innocence.htmlJuvenile Justice Clinic - http://www.law.unlv.edu/clinic_juvenileJustice.html
Mediation Clinic - http://www.law.unlv.edu/clinic_mediation.html
University of New Hampshire School of Law
Administrative Advocacy Clinic
The Administrative Advocacy Clinic provides students with the opportunity to represent local clients in unemployment compensation appeals, Health & Human Services appeals, and motor vehicle licensing hearings. Applying what they have learned in the classroom, UNH law students actively learn the basics of practicing law by managing administrative cases before State agencies. Specifically, students have the opportunity to interview clients, perform fact investigation, and write briefs submitted to the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security Appeal Tribunal and Appellate Board.
Appellate Defender Clinic
Charged with the responsibility of handling virtually all of the indigent criminal appeals from New Hampshire State Courts, the New Hampshire Appellate Defender Program is housed at the UNH School of Law. Moreover, approximately 100 briefs per year are filed in the New Hampshire Supreme Court, and 80 cases per year are argued in front of the Court. As a result, UNH law students have the unique opportunity to actively assist Appellate Defender attorneys in researching, writing appeals briefs and preparing oral arguments.
Consumer & Commercial Law Clinic:
The Consumer and Commercial Law Clinic focuses on consumer finance, debt collection, and bankruptcy cases. Thus, students have the opportunity to actively integrate and apply contract law, federal and state consumer protection statutes, as well as state, federal, and bankruptcy civil procedure. Students prosecute and defend a wide variety of cases including: identity theft, unfair trade practices, small business disputes, predatory lending, and bankruptcy related-issues.
Criminal Practice Clinic:
Integrating and applying legal skills and doctrinal courses in criminal law, legal writing, and oral advocacy, the Criminal Practice Clinic provides an opportunity for students to represent indigent defendants accused of Class A misdemeanors and felony crimes in New Hampshire District and Superior Courts. After intensive preparation, students file motions, negotiate with prosecutors, and have the opportunity to try cases before judges and juries.
Intellectual Property & Business Transaction Clinic:
Assisting clients in both adversarial and non-adversarial claims, the UNH Intellectual Property & Business Transaction Clinic accepts referrals from the New Hampshire Lawyers for the Arts Program and the Amoskeag Busines Incubator. As a result, students are exposed to a variety of cases involving copyright, trademark, and small business issues. Daily, students represent authors, artists, musicians, small businesses, non-profit organizations in copyright and trademark registration, licensing and protection. Students also assist individuals forming and managing non-profit corporations.
Mediation Clinic:
The Mediation Clinic offers law students the unique opportunity to mediate civil disputes and controversy within the Concord and Manchester New Hampshire District Courts. Equipped with mediation skills after completing an intensive seminar demonstrating effective mediation techniques, law students are assigned mediation cases and expected to mediate between the disputing parties. Additionally, students observe and discuss the role of an attorney advocating for his client during the mediation.
Street Law Clinic:
Recognizing the importance in teaching the local community about civil, criminal and constitutional democracy in a practical way, UNH School of Law students venture into the New Hampshire High Schools to teach high school students about human rights and democratic values. UNH law students prepare reading and lesson plans, and keep a reflective journal about their experiences. Before teaching high school students, UNH law students are trained in effective teaching methods and participate in peer teaching exercises.
University of New Mexico School of Law
Community Lawyering Clinic
Children’s Advocacy Clinic
Law Practice Clinic
Southwest Indian Law Clinic
University of North Carolina: University of North Carolina School of Law
Community Development Law Clinic - A two-semester clinic in which third-year students provide corporate and transactional counsel to North Carolina nonprofit community development organizations. The aim of the CDL Clinic is to help students develop skills in corporate and transactional law and, at the same time, serve the legal needs of under-resourced communities in North Carolina.
CDL students work on a wide variety of business law projects including:
- forming corporations and limited liability companies
- spinning off subsidiaries for existing nonprofit corporations
- advising organizations regarding local, state and federal taxation
- negotiating and drafting contracts on behalf of nonprofit organizations
- helping structure joint ventures between nonprofit and for-profit entities
- obtaining necessary state licenses for nonprofit programs
-
Criminal Law Clinic - A one or two-semester clinic in which third-year law students represent children accused of crimes. Our cases principally involve the defense of juveniles in delinquency and undisciplined proceedings in Durham and Orange Counties. In this context, students handle a wide variety of felony and misdemeanor cases, ranging from disorderly conduct and joyriding to assault and drug distribution. Students also represent children alleged to be truant, beyond the disciplinary control of their parents, and runaways.
- landlord/tenant and other housing law issues
- family law cases, including domestic violence
- unemployment benefits
- consumer law issues
- public benefits
- refugees applying for asylum
- battered immigrants applying for VAWA relief
- immigrants eligible for U (crime victim) Visas
- immigrants eligible for T (trafficking) Visas
- immigrants with claims to U.S. citizenship
- other claims for permanent residency status
- Employer Legal Advice Clinic
The clinic offers non-profit corporations employment law counseling ranging from evaluating the legality of employee random drug testing to designing supervisor training programs on sexual harassment. Visit http://lawweb.usc.edu/why/academics/clinics/ela/ for more information. - Immigration Clinic
The clinic provides pro bono representation to clients in a variety of immigration cases including asylum, applications for relief under the Violence Against Women Act, and other applications for relief from removal. Visit http://lawweb.usc.edu/why/academics/clinics/immigration/ for more information. - Post-Conviction Justice Project
The clinic represents California federal and state inmates in post-conviction issues ranging from parole board hearings to petitions for writ of habeas corpus. Visit http://lawweb.usc.edu/why/academics/clinics/pcjp/ for more information. - Small Business Clinic
The Small Business Clinic provides basic corporate legal assistance to entrepreneurs, small businesses and non-profit organizations, ranging from entity selection and formation to contract drafting. Visit http://lawweb.usc.edu/why/academics/clinics/sbc/ for more information. - Civil Law
- Criminal Law
- Juvenile Law
- Sports Law
- Mediation
- Tax
- In the Civil Justice Clinic, students handle cases in areas including housing, consumer law, domestic relations and public benefits.
-
Civil Rights & Community Justice Clinic students work at a variety of organizations on cases of alleged discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age and disability. Students also are trained as mediators.
- Through the Congressional & Administrative Law Clinic third year law students spend the spring semester in Washington, DC, working for either a Congressional Office or Administrative Agency.
- The Criminal Justice Clinic works with the Missouri State Public Defenders System and representing clients on criminal matters.
- Students in the Government Lawyering Clinic work in the U.S. Attorney's Office.
- In the Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic teams of law students and students from other schools at Washington University work together to provide legal and technical assistance to individuals and organizations on environmental and community health problems.
Gender and Human Rights Policy Clinic - Clinic students work with both state and international organizations on legislative and policy matters, prepare research papers, draft legislative and rule-making proposals, policy guides, and briefs. For more information, see http://64.245.255.159/PAStudents/PAStudentsPage.aspx?ID=50&Q=3
The Civil Legal Assistance Clinic - A two-semester clinic where third-year students represent low-income clients in a variety of civil matters, including, but not limited to:
The Immigration/Human Rights Policy Clinic - A two-semester clinic that provides students with an opportunity to represent clients in immigration cases and work on legal projects addressing human rights initiatives. Students work in teams of two or three, depending on the case or project, and consult with each other before and during weekly team meetings with their faculty supervisor. Students prepare claims and advocate on behalf of immigrant clients, including:
Students will also engage in non-litigation strategies and collaborate with state, national, and international human rights organizations on legislative and rule-making proposals, policy matters, research papers, and amicus briefs. Topics may include trafficking, domestic workers, police reform, and various human rights treaty obligations and compliance. Students will work with organizations that are currently seeking to reframe domestic issues as human rights issues, and will engage in various law-related campaigns aimed at addressing a range of economic, social, and cultural human rights violations.
University of North Dakota School of Law
University of Oklahoma College of Law
The University of Oklahoma Legal Clinic is a clinical program providing law students the opportunity to represent indigent clients in a broad range of cases in Cleveland and McClain Counties and in administrative proceedings before state and federal agencies. The Legal Clinic includes both a Civil Clinic and a Criminal Defense Clinic.
Cheryl Wattley, Associate Professor and Director
University of Oregon: University of Oregon School of Law
Civil Practice Clinic - Students represent low-income clients through Lane County Legal Aid. Cases may result in court or contested case hearings, often involving social security, welfare, food stamp, public housing or unemployment benefits.
http://www.law.uoregon.edu/academics/clinics.php
Criminal Defense Clinic - Students conduct client and witness interviews and investigations and help defend clients in a range of misdemeanor prosecutions in Circuit Court through the Public Defender Service of Lane County. Students may defend cases at trial, and Advanced Clinic Students are accorded higher levels of responsibilities.
http://www.law.uoregon.edu/academics/clinics.php
Domestic Violence/Family Law Clinic - Students work with Lane County Domestic Violence Clinic Attorneys and client advocates to represent survivors of domestic violence and stalking, in contested protective order hearings.
http://www.law.uoregon.edu/academics/clinics.php
Environmental Law Clinic - The Environmental Law Clinic, the first public interest environmental law clinic in the world, has achieved national recognition for its extraordinary teaching and client representation in public interest advocacy. Taught through the off-campus Western Environmental Law Center, it has attracted a great deal of interest among foreign lawyers in observing and participating in its work.
http://www.law.uoregon.edu/academics/clinics.php
Mediation Clinic - After mediation training, students spend one morning each week working in the local small claims court, helping disputants to search for nonlitigation solutions to their problems. Provides practical experience mediating claims.
http://www.law.uoregon.edu/academics/clinics.php
Prosecution Clinic - Provides practical experience in the courtroom. Students prepare and try misdemeanor cases, and may assist on felony matters.
http://www.law.uoregon.edu/academics/clinics.php
University of Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Law School
Civil Practice Clinic - This clinical course examines first hand the challenging issues that confront lawyers who represent clients in civil disputes and litigation. Under close faculty supervision, students will serve as litigators in the Penn Legal Assistance Office, a teaching law firm providing legal representation to actual clients whoseinterests are directly at stake in state and federal court proceedings and in administrative agency hearings. Students will interview and counsel clients, develop case theories, engotiate with opposing parties, and provide legal representation in formal adjudicatory hearings under Pennsylvania's student practice rule. Students will bea ssigned their own individual cases in which they will have primary responsibility in a broad range of substantive areas, such as housing, social security disability, child custody and support, civil forfeiture, education, and discrimination and civil rights. The skills and experience obtained in this course will serve students throughout their professional careers, whether or not they choose to pursue litigation practice.
In addition to their casework as lawyers, students will engage in classroom seminars twice weekly to obtain training in basic interactional skills (e.g. interviewing, counseling, negotiating) and to discuss in a collegial setting issues of case development, strategy and professional responsibility which arise in the Clinic's cases. Students will also participate in videotaped simulations utilizing trained actors as a means of enchancing skills development. Most important, each student will be assigned to an individual faculty supervisor with whom eh/she will meet regularly on a one-to-one basis to receive close supervision and constructive feedback. Students will develop competence in basic lawyering skills as well as self-reflection, acquiring an ability to analyze what it is they do as lawyers and to learn from their own experiences.
Criminal Defense Clinic - This clinical course will combine hands on trial experience with an educational component tailored to developing litigation skills. Students will try cases under the close supervision of a senior trial attorney from the Defender Association of Philadelphia. During the first four weeks there will be intensive classroom study where students will learn Pennsylvania Criminal Law, Procedure, Evidence, trial and cross examination skills. Durin this period students will also be assigned mock cases to prepare ina ddition to boserving actual preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, and trial in municipal court.
Students will then be assigned to represent defendants. Students will conduct misdemeanor trials and preliminary hearings for felony cases. Students will interview and counsel clients, develop case theories, negotiate with opposing parties and prepare various pretrial motions. Students will be interacting with their clients, members of the judiciary, District Attorneys, witnesses and complainants. Successful participants will need to be able to persuasively articulate legal arguments, work with a wide variety of individuals and maintain their composure in difficult situations. It is the instructor's expectation that each student will have the experience of representing clients on 5 to 7 different cases.
In addition to the classroom educational component described above, students will be exposed to a variety of guest speakers who will examine some of the ethical and social issues raised in criminal defense, and particular issues involved in representing the indigent.
Interdisciplinary Child Advocacy Clinic - Child abuse and neglect is a serious and chronic national problem that demands increased academic and clinical attention. Such child maltreatment gives rise to complex medical, psychological, parenting and legal issues. Unfortunately, the structures in place to respond to children who have suffered abuse or neglect are disjointed, and many of the providers of services to children at risk are inadequately trained and lack needed experience in collaborating to address the children's immediate an dlong-term needs.
Dr. Christian, a pediatrician, and Director of the Child Abuse Referral and Evaluation (CARE) Clinic at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and Professor Lerner will offer an innovative, interdisciplinary, clinical seminar to bring together medical students, residents and/or fellows, and graduate social work students with upper class law students to study and compare the context, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect; the legal, social services and medical systems' respnses to child maltreatment; and the treatment and advocacy skills necessary to help maltreated children survive and prosper. In the process, the students will jointly examine and grapple with important professional responsibility issues that arise in such interdisciplinary work.
In addition to academic study of these issues, the students in the Clinic will collaborate to provide legal representation and other forms of advocacy as child advocates or Guardians Ad Litem for children who come into the jurisdiction of the Philadelphia Family Court's dependency court rooms.
Lawyering in the Public Interest - This seminar explores major lawyering themes that confront public interest lawyers in diverse practice areas and settings. It is designed to integrate theory and academic analysis with practice themes emerging from students' public interest work experiences during law school. Students will closely examine the unique challenges posed by community lawyering; the efficacy of competing service delivery models; the impact of scarcity of resources and high volume practice upon the practitioner; the empowerment of hte disadvantaged and powerless through law and education; litigation and non-litigation strategies; legal and non-legal restrictions on the work of public interest lawyers; professional responsibility issues; the role of the privact practitioner in the delivery of legal services to the poor; and current themes and timely isuses relating to access to justice and public interest practice.
Requirements include mandatory attendance, class participation, oral presentations, and completion of a seminar paper. Students will write seminar papers on topics selected with the approval of the instructors. Paper topics may, but need not, relate directly to the particular issues discussed in class. THe paper is expected to be of publishable quality and may, with additional development and instructor permission, be used to satisfy the senior writing requirement. The final several weeks of the seminar will include oral presentations by students on their papers.
Legislative Clinic - The Legislative Clinic offers students an opportunity to gain deeper understanding of the role of lawyers in the legislative process and in the formation of public policy. The seminar is a "live" client course that combines legislative placements with a classroom seminar component. After consultation to consider student interests and preferences, students will be assigned to legislative placements in the offices of members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly or the U.S. Congress, or at public interest organizations advocating for legislative change under the supervision of experienced legislative advocates. In the seminar portion of the course, students will examine basic lawyering competencies required for successful legislative lawyering and will discuss issues of public policy, legislative strategy and professional responsiblity that arise in their fieldwork. Semianr topics will include an examination of the role of the legislative lawyer; a comparison of lawyering skills needed to succeed in legislative and judicial forums; strategic legislative planning; statutory drafting; legislative research; and principles of legislative advocacy.
Mediation (and other alternatives to Litigation) - Mediation involves the intervention of a neutral third party into an existing or threatened dispute, with the aim of facilitating a negotiated resolution of the conflict. Lawyers are increasingly immersed in this arena, both as mediators and as traditional representatives of clients in mediation. It is also a subject of great interest to business lawyers and those practicing criminal law.
This clinical course focuses on the skills, role and ethical questions involved in the mediation function. It includes classroom study of mediation (and related 'alternatives' to formal adversary litigation), simulated skills training, observations of outside neutrals in actual cases, and real case fieldwork in which students are frontline mediators under facutly supervison. By the end of the course students learn a great deal about negotiation, advising, evaluating cases in litigation, presiding over a meeting -- as well as conflict resolution as a mediator.
The course begins with classroom study and an intensive simulation skills training. During this period, students are assigned to boserve actual adjudications and mediations. In order for the fieldwork to begin by week six, there are appproximately 12 hours of extra "skills" classes. These extra classes will be scheduled during the first week of class and will be at times that are open to all students' schedules.
Starting with week 6, students are required to be available for assignment to mediations. The fieldwork component of this course demands the rapid development of interactional skills as well as the flexibility to be avaialble for case assignments. Cases may include civil litigation, criminal matters, child custody disputes, and employment discrimination matters.
Small Business Clinic - This clinical course helps students examine issues and role demands that face lawyers engaged in business planning and counseling and transactional law practice. Students participate in a teaching law practice representing small businesses, nonprofit corporations, and /or larger organizations involved in community economic development activities. Live-client experience introduces students to the relationship between substantive law and relevant lawyering skills such as interviewing, counseling, case planning, drafting, research and case management.
Students are assigned their own individual matters in which, under faculty supervision, they have front-line experience in a range of client matters. FOr example, students may participate in: advising on the appropriate chosie of business entity for entrepreneurs in start-up busiensses; forming for-profit and nonprofit entities; drafting bylaws, perating agreements, consulting agreements, lease agreements or sales agreements; advising on general legal compliance; filing applications for federal tax-exemption; and preparing for rela estate or loan closings. Students may provide counsel on intellectual property concerns, including the filing of trademark and copyright protection. Students may also provide representation to non-profit developers on a range of matters related to long-term real estate or economic development transactions.
Students gain exposure to the importance of financial and other non-legal resources in business settings. The skills and experience obtained in the course will serve students throughout their professional careers, especially in practices -- such as transactional lawyering, corporate planning and tax -- that call heavily upon planning and drafting abilities.
The Clinic has a weekly seminar during which students may present their client matters for discussion in a collegial atmosphere. THe seminar also provides opportunities for exploration of certain substantive areas and professional responsibility issues applicable to business and transactional law practice. Some sessions include simulation exercises designed to highlight basic business lawyering themes. In addition to the firm meeting sessions, each student meets regularly with a facutly supervisor to receive one-on-one supervision and constructive feedback.
Student may also be asked to particpate in workshop presentations on legal matters of interest to entrepeneurs and non-profit organizations. These workshops are sponsored by small business technical assistance programs in the Greater Philadelphia area.
University of Pittsburgh: School of Law
Civil Practice Clinic (Focus on Health Law and Elder Law)
Community & Economic Development Clinic
Environmental Law Clinic
Family Law Clinic
Taxpayer Low Income Clinic
University of Puerto Rico School of Law
Civil Law Clinic
Gay Lesbian Rights
Inmigration Clinic
Mediation
University of Richmond T. C. Williams School of Law
Delinquency Law Clinic is a litigation-oriented clinic, which focuses primarily on delinquency matters, serving as defense counsel for young people charged with such offenses as grand larceny, drug possession or breaking and entering.
Disability Law Clinic focuses on representation of children with mental and/or cognitive disabilities seeking appropriate special education services in the community as well as in juvenile facilities and jails as mandated by both federal and state law.
The Jeanette Lipman Family Law Clinic serves the needs of low income families in the city of Richmond, providing legal representation on family issues, students participate in client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation, case planning, report writing, motions drafting and courtroom advocacy.
Intellectual Property and Transactional Law Clinic Is the law school's newest clinical opportunity. Students represent for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, business startups, as well as artists, authors and inventors.
Institute for Actual Innocence Clinic works to identify and exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals.
Advanced Children's Law Clinic students who have completed either the Delinquency Clinic or the Disability Law Clinic may enroll for two to six credits. Advanced students take leaderships roles in cases and complete a significant project.
University of Saint Thomas: School of Law (MN)
Interprofessional Center for Counseling and Legal Services - The St. Thomas Interprofessional Center for Counseling and Legal Services offers services through independent and collaborative counseling and legal clinics responsive to the needs of diverse and underserved populations. Students from the Schools of Law, Professional Psychology, and Social Work provide services under professional supervision grounded in their respective missions, training models, and ethical codes. The interprofessional training and services are provided within the overall mission of the University of St. Thomas, a comprehensive, coeducational, Catholic university that seeks to develop morally responsible individuals who combine career competency with cultural awareness and intellectual curiosity. The Center directors, faculty, supervisors, students, and staff are committed to high quality ethical practice, interprofessional engagement, teaching and research founded on principles of social justice. Website: http://www.stthomas.edu/iccls/index.cfm
University of San Diego School of Law
Child Advocacy Clinic: Dependency I & Dependency II– Students participating in Students participating in the Dependency Clinic work with an assigned attorney from the San Diego Office of the Public Defender representing abused children in dependency court proceedings. Dependency Clinic interns meet as a group once a week to discuss their work and to review current issues in child advocacy.
Child Advocacy Clinic: Policy I & Policy II – Students participating in the Policy Section work with CAI staff on projects relating to state agency rulemaking, legislation, litigation, or other advocacy. Policy projects might include performing research and writing on the California Children's Budget or the Children's Regulatory Law Reporter. Interns may also be assigned to participate in policy research and analysis of current applications of law and regulations as they affect children.
Civil Clinic – Students participating in the Civil Clinic interview, counsel and represent clients in actual civil cases under the supervision of a clinical professor through the in-house clinic law office. Weekly group meetings are combined with individual case conferences to provide intensive personal training in problem solving and case management, and to provide exposure to practice and procedure.
Criminal Clinic I & II – The Criminal Clinic is a clinical course that places students with a prosecuting or defending agency in the criminal justice system. A two-hour per week classroom component provides simulations, lectures and discussions in the most common areas of criminal practice.
Entrepreneurship Clinic – Through hands-on opportunities, students in the Entrepreneurship Clinic provide pro bono legal services to low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs who want to start or expand their small businesses. The Entrepreneurship Clinic does not engage in litigation-related services; instead, it focuses on advising clients on legal matters relating to their business and assisting in drafting and filing necessary documents. Such work includes determining the appropriate choice of business entity; assistance in obtaining necessary permits and licenses; advising on employment and independent contractor issues; drafting and reviewing commercial contracts and leases; and assisting with the establishment of tax-exempt organizations.
Environmental Law Clinic I & II – This is a clinical course for students who wish to develop litigation skills in the context of environmental law. All work is performed under the direct supervision of the director of the Environmental Law Clinic. There is a two-hour per week classroom component, as well as a regular meeting with the director of the Environmental Law Clinic.
Immigration Clinic I & II – Students participating in the Immigration Clinic gain practical experience through interviewing, counseling, and representing clients with immigration-related problems. Weekly meetings are held with the clinic supervisor to discuss immigration law and practice and casework.
Land Use Clinic I & II – The Land Use Clinic provides students with the opportunity to become involved in land use and land development issues. Students may be placed with a government agency, such as the San Diego City Attorney's Office, or elect to work with private clients. Students represent private clients by assisting property owners through the permitting process and at discretionary review hearings. Students also meet with local community planning groups and negotiate with the city or other governmental agencies. Students represent private clients under the supervision of the Land Use Clinic director. The weekly two hour classroom component covers the basic statutory and regulatory framework of land use law and procedures.
Mental Health Clinic – The Mental Health Clinic is a fast-paced, hands-on course supervised by the director of the Patient Advocacy Program. Students develop their interviewing, negotiation, investigation and critical thinking skills in the context of statutorily mandated administrative hearings in psychiatric facilities and resolving patient rights complaints. Students may attend meetings regarding the administrative/regulatory aspects of behavioral health care. The weekly 1-1/2 hour class component includes lectures, guest speakers, case review and discussion.
Patient Advocacy Program – The Patient Advocacy Program provides statutorily mandated advocacy services to mental health consumers in a variety of 24 hour facilities throughout San Diego County. Patient advocates provide patient representation at administrative hearings conducted to review involuntary psychiatric holds. They also investigate complaints of alleged abuse and denial of rights in various treatment settings.
The program provides education and outreach to consumers, providers and the community regarding the laws and regulations that govern mental health treatment and patient rights.
Perspectives in Criminal Justice – Students participating in the Perspectives in Criminal Justice course serve as pre-arraignment representatives for the Department of the Public Defender by going into the San Diego County Jail and identifying recent arrestees who have not made bail. Students conduct initial interviews to provide advice regarding an arrestee's constitutional and statutory rights, address an arrestee's concerns arising from his incarceration, and obtain and investigate information relevant to the issue of bail, such as the arrestee's length of residence, his current employment status, and ties to the local community.
Students assist the deputy public defender in the felony arraignment department by counseling and arraigning defendants charged with felony offenses and arguing for a bail reduction or release. Students also interview persons convicted of a criminal offense who have been identified by the Department of the Public Defender as eligible for an expungement of their convictions in order to compile and prepare the documentation required for the appropriate motion. Students may argue any motions that they have prepared that are set for a court hearing.
Public Interest Law Clinic – Students who enjoy Public Interest Law and Practice frequently go on to take Public Interest Law Clinic, in which they may design their own writing or advocacy project related to regulatory or public interest law. In the past, these projects have included written critiques of agencies or agency programs; petitioning an agency to adopt regulations; drafting model legislation; participating in litigation to enforce the state's "sunshine statutes"; or submitting amicus curiae briefs on public interest issues pending appeal. Student critiques of publishable quality may satisfy USD's written work requirement.
Small Claims Clinic I & II – The Small Claims Clinic offers students the opportunity to develop interviewing and counseling skills as well as trial preparation skills in the Small Claims Court context. Students assist low-income families in preparing their cases for trial at Small Claims Court and can represent clients in the appeals process in Superior Court.
Special Education Clinic I & II – Students receive practical training and experience in client intake, interviewing and counseling, and representation of clients at meetings with school district personnel. Some cases proceed to formal mediation and hearing. Weekly group meetings are combined with individual case conferences to provide intensive personal training in case management. The classroom component also includes an overview of statutes and cases in this growing area of civil law.
Tax Clinic – The Tax Clinic is a hands-on class that provides students with practical tax controversy experience while assisting low income taxpayers with IRS problems. An emphasis is placed upon client interviewing skills, as well as learning how to negotiate with the IRS, and how to effectively resolve a client's federal tax dispute. Also, students provide outreach programs to the local community, advising citizens of their rights as taxpayers, as well as their tax obligations.
University of San Francisco School of Law
The USF Law Clinic is an in-house teaching law firm that handles real cases for clients pro bono. Under the direction of experienced faculty members, students earn academic credit while representing real clients through judicial and administrative proceedings in a range of civil, criminal defense and juvenile law cases. Students participate in client interviews, investigations, counseling, research, drafting, discovery, and negotiation. The USF Law Clinic includes several specialized clinics, which are listed below.
Child Advocacy Clinic
In the Child Advocacy Clinic, students receive training and, under the supervision of the clinic director, represent abused, neglected, or abandoned children in child welfare proceedings. Clinic activities include interviewing clients, investigation, writing and responding to motions, and court appearances on behalf of clients in San Francisco Superior and Juvenile Courts, as well as the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court.
Mediation Clinic
Students in the Mediation Clinic have the opportunity to apply dispute resolution skills by serving as mediators in cases brought to the San Francisco Small Claims Court. These mediations involve most areas of the law with the exception of criminal and family law matters. After intensive training, clinic students conduct mediations and draft settlement agreements for parties who are able to resolve their disputes.
Criminal and Juvenile Justice Law Clinic
A successor to our first in-house program, the criminal clinic remains a core component of the USF Law Clinic. Students enrolled in this clinic represent indigent defendants in all phases of criminal proceedings, from arraignment through trial and appeal. They also represent defendants in juvenile court delinquency proceedings.
Employment Law Clinic
Students in this clinic represent clients in Equal Employment Opportunity Commission mediations involving alleged discrimination. Students investigate claims and prepare cases for mediation. As part of their preparation, students develop the theory of the case, determine damages, and write a mediation brief. Upon successful resolution of the case, students prepare a settlement agreement. In addition, students become involved in wage and hour disputes before the California Labor Commissioner. The clinic assists clients of the Instituto Laboral de la Raza, a nonprofit workers' rights organization that addresses the needs of low income workers and their families throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Frank C. Newman International Human Rights Law Clinic
USF's innovative Frank C. Newman International Human Rights Law Clinic focuses on critical human rights issues, including migrants' rights, application of the death penalty to juveniles, and trafficking of women. Participating students research and prepare presentations for the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Commission of the Status of Women. Many of the students personally present their case to the Council at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, or to the Commission on the Status of Women in New York City. Students also work on briefs detailing international law standards to U.S. courts and represent individual clients before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Predatory Lending Law Clinic
The Predatory Lending Clinic is offered as a clinical component of the Predatory Lending Law and Practice course. The course covers federal and state protections against predatory lending practices, including the Truth in Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Unfair Business Practices Act. Practical training is provided on interviewing techniques, case planning, discovery, drafting, and working with clients who have cultural and language differences. Clinical placements send students to the California reinvestment Coalition, several local legal aid offices, Adult Protective Services, the San Francisco District Attorney's office, as well as to local law firms engaged in pro bono predatory lending work.
University of South Carolina: University of South Carolina School of Law
Criminal Practice – This clinic will afford participating students an opportunity to gain first-hand, closely supervised training and experience in the representation of real clients and the practice of the arts/skills of litigation planning, client counseling, fact development, negotiation and courtroom advocacy.
Environmental Advocacy – This course explores and develops practical advocacy skills in the area of environmental representation. Topics include:case planning; administrative, legislative, and litigation practice; policy development; settlement, negotiation; remedies; ethical consideration and effective communication between lawyers and environmental scientists, engineers, and othe professionals.
Federal Litigation – Students will represent clients in cases presenting problems in civil Federal litigation. the casework will focus on problems of pleading, discovery, and motion practice in the Federal Courts.
Juvenile Justice – This clinic will afford participating students an opportunity to gain first-hand, closely supervised traing and experience in the representation of real clients and the practice of the arts/skills of litigation planning, client counseling, fact development, negotiating, and courtroom advocacy.
University of South Dakota School of Law
University of Southern California Gould School of Law
USC's clinical training programs are designed to develop lawyering skills of the highest quality. USC Law offers two types of clinical training: classroom courses that include simulated exercises, and supervised casework with actual clients. Through classroom exercises, students use hypothetical case materials in simulated law office and courtroom settings, with actors playing the roles of clients and witnesses. Then, students learn legal skills and principles by working on actual cases for real clients under the supervision of faculty member. The following clinical programs combine classroom exercises with client representation.
University of Tennessee College of Law
For more than fifty years, the University of Tennessee College of Law has been a national leader in clinical legal education. Through its clinical programs, UT has helped law students develop the lawyering skills and professional judgment needed after graduation. The College has also advanced the cause of justice over the years by serving thousands of indigent clients unable to afford a lawyer.
UT Legal Clinic - The cornerstone of clinical offerings at the College of Law is the UT Legal Clinic and its Advocacy Clinic course offering. The Legal Clinic is a functioning law firm -- a teaching law office. Under special rule of the Tennessee Supreme Court, third-year law students represent real clients under faculty supervision. In the process, students are exposed to all facets of managing a case -- interviewing, research, counseling, negotiations, and advocacy in court. Case areas include adult criminal matters, juvenile delinquency, eviction actions, and unemployment hearings, among others.
Business Law Clinic - The Law School's Center for Entrepreneurial Law requires those enrolled to follow a special curriculum, grants them a special certificate at completion, and aims to prepare them for a transactional practice. The experience involves third-year law students, working in conjunction with full-time and adjunct faculty, providing business-related legal services to individuals and enterprises that would not otherwise be able to afford the range and depth of legal services that they need.
Domestic Violence Clinic
Mediation Clinic - For many years, the College of Law has offered a Mediation Clinic in which students receive training in how to mediate disputes and then actually serve as mediators in cases before local courts of limited jurisdiction.
Non-profit Corporations Clinic - This seminar examines federal and state laws that govern nonprofit corporations and offer practical clinical experience representing local corporations. Under the supervision of an experienced practitioner, teams of students conduct "legal audits" of local nonprofit corporations, make presentations to administrators and directors, draft corporate documents and help clients resolve specific legal problems.
University of Texas at Austin School of Law
The Law School has one of the largest clinical programs in the country, with sixteen separate clinics focused exclusively on public interest issues.
Actual Innocence Clinic – Students investigate claims by inmates that they are actually innocent of the offenses for which they are incarcerated.
Capital Punishment Clinic – Students assist in the representation of indigent defendants charged with or convicted of capital offenses.
Children's Rights Clinic – Students represent children as attorneys ad litem in cases where the state seeks custody or temination of parental rights.
Community Development Clinic – Students represent nonprofit organizations and individuals involved in community development and economic development in low-income communities.
Criminal Defense Clinic – Students represent indigent defendants charged with misdemeanors.
Domestic Violence Clinic – Students represent victims of domestic violence with a variety of civil legal problems.
Environmental Clinic – Students work with low income communities on projects to improve environmental quality.
Housing Clinic – Students represent low-income families in their housing-related legal problems.
Human Rights Clinic – An interdisciplinary group of law students and graduate students work on human rights cases and projects.
Immigration Clinic – Students represent low-income immigrants before the immigration courts and the Department of Homeland Security.
Juvenile Justice Clinic – Students represent indigent juveniles charged with a range of criminal offenses.
Legislative Lawyering Clinic – Students represent nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and political subdivisions in policy matters.
Mediation Clinic – Students mediate cases in the Justice of the Peace courts in Travis County and surrounding areas.
Mental Health Clinic – Students represent persons facing commitment to a mental hospital.
National Security Clinic – Students work on projects and cases related to the government’s anti-terrorism efforts domestically and abroad.
Transnational Worker Rights Clinic – Students represent low-income immigrant workers to recover unpaid wages and also advocate for worker rights.
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law
The Clinic Program
The objectives of the 700-hour clinic requirement are both educational and service-oriented. The educational objectives are to provide students with a well-rounded legal education by delivering professional skills instruction in a realistic lawyering environment and to provide students with lawyering experience in varied practice settings. The service objective is to provide valuable legal services to economically disadvantaged residents of the District of Columbia in the course of educating students to be lawyers. The School of Law provides millions of dollars worth of free legal services to thousands of low-income residents.
The Community Development Law Clinic and Small Business Law Project engage primarily in transactional law practice, representing for-profit and non-profit businesses. The clinic's clients are community-based non-profit organizations and small business owners. Students in the clinic provide legal services to clients on matters such as contract negotiation and drafting, real estate purchase and finance, regulatory compliance, choice of entity and other organizational decisions, trademark and copyright, directors' and officers' duties and liability, and tax exempt status.
The HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic represents persons infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. Thus, an HIV+ mother may come to the clinic for assistance in obtaining disability benefits for her child who has AIDS. After building a relationship of trust with the lawyers, as well as her case managers trained in social work, a mother will be ready to work on life planning for herself, durable powers of attorney, a will, and a custody arrangement for the care of her child when she dies. A mother also turns to the student lawyers and the clinical supervisors for assistance with legal issues such as job discrimination, housing, special education, consumer problems, child support, and bankruptcy. The HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic collaborates with other UDC-DCSL clinics to provide specialized legal assistance in areas such as housing and special education.
The Housing and Consumer Law Clinic engages primarily in trial and administrative advocacy. Students in the clinic represent individuals and groups in eviction defenses and in cases relating to habitability, illegal rent increases, repairs, predatory loans, fair housing, and miscellaneous torts. Students also represent consumers against merchants in disputes involving sales and services.
Law students and faculty supervisors in the Juvenile Law Clinic primarily represent children and parents or guardians in special education matters. The children who are the subjects of these special education matters are, almost without exception, also the subjects of either delinquency matters or neglect matters. The Juvenile Law Clinic faculty members have pioneered, and continue to develop, a nationally-acclaimed approach to combating delinquency and child neglect by identifying and enforcing special education rights on behalf of those children and their parents/guardians.
The Legislation Clinic presents legislation as a major tool for lawyers seeking to effect legal reform and establish rights for disadvantaged segments of society; and researching, analyzing, drafting, as well as advocating for passage of legislation are important lawyering tasks. As one of its primary goals, the clinic seeks to train students to be knowledgeable and effective advocates in every major phase of legislation on both the national and state/local levels and to enable students to seek law reform through legislative advocacy. In addition, each student is assigned to work on one or more legislative projects consistent with the mission of the School of Law -- either in Congress or the Council of the District of Columbia.
University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law
Pacific McGeorge offers a variety of opportunities for students to work with real clients in real situations through its clinical programs. Clinical programs afford students the chance to learn while helping those without ready access to representation. www.mcgeorge.edu/x691.xml
Faculty Supervised Clinics:
Administrative Adjudication Clinic
The Administrative Adjudication Clinic is designed to train students to be administrative judges using a variety of instructional approaches including classroom instruction, observations, simulations and research assignments. The Clinic works in partnership with the Capital Center for Government Law and Policy to give students the chance to act as administrative judges. Once students are trained, they will be assigned to hear and decide a number of administrative disputes for local cities and other public agencies who have contracted with McGeorge’s Institute for Administrative Justice (IAJ) for hearing services. Students gain invaluable insight into mediating inter-governmental disputes and making sure the interests of citizens is protected.
Bankruptcy Clinic
The Bankruptcy Clinic provides a practical skills experience in insolvency issues and proceedings. Enrolled students interview and counsel clients, and assist clients in all aspects of case assessment, negotiation and settlement, and representation of debtors and creditors in bankruptcy proceedings in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California. Through the Clinic, students are certified by the court, and provide essential services to Californians facing the threat of bankruptcy, while maintaining the dignity of their clients.
Elder Law Clinic
The Elder Law Clinic is designed to help students integrate substantive legal knowledge and practice skills in the growing field of law and aging. Students will provide legal advice and undertake representation of individuals 65 and older. Priority cases include nursing home residents’ rights, conservatorships and alternatives, family law, social security, Medicare, SSI, health care access, housing, elder abuse, creditor/debtor disputes, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and wills and trusts. Aging can mean vulnerability, and Pacific McGeorge seeks to provide much needed assistance and fair representation for persons of advanced age.
Federal Defender Clinic
Perhaps one of the most integral aspects of public service law is the representation of the accused. The Federal Defender Clinic provides students with the opportunities to represent indigent defendants in federal court, draft legal memoranda, argue motions and develop a working knowledge of criminal and sentencing statutes. Enrolled students will attend monthly Petty Offense Calendar before Magistrate Judges where they will be assigned cases, then hone their skills in client counseling, plea negotiation, case analysis, oral advocacy, litigation and trial techniques.
Immigration Law Clinic
While the issue of immigration can be a hot-button topic, the need for informed and compassionate representation is as high as ever. The Immigration Law Clinic provides a practical skills experience in identifying legal issues, providing legal advise and providing assistance in completing all legal correspondence between the client and the Department of Homeland Security. Enrolled students interview and counsel clients, prepare all legal documents needed to secure various immigration benefits such as naturalization, waivers of inadmissibility, lawful permanent residency, immigrant visas, and specialized visas such as U visas and T visas. Students work in a rewarding environment, assisting those in search of the American dream.
Parole Representation Clinic
Pacific McGeorge students have a hands-on opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals seeking to reenter society as productive members. Students represent California parolees in revocation hearings and have the opportunity to represent adult and juvenile parolees in administrative hearings. The Clinic allows students to handle cases from initial assignment through resolution at the hearing, including interviewing clients, developing case strategy and advocating for your clients at their parole hearings.
Victims of Crime Representation Clinic
Crime victims are faced with a multitude of challenges, none of which should be the lack of zealous and effective representation. Pacific McGeorge’s Victims of Crime Representation Clinic and Seminar educates students about the role of the crime victim in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. The course focuses on the constitutional and statutory rights of crime victims and the difficulties inherent in exercising those rights.
Other Clinical Opportunities:
Legal Services of Northern California Landlord-Tenant Clinic
The Landlord-Tenant Clinic at Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC) is a volunteer opportunity designed to introduce students to public interest law. Each student gets extensive training on landlord-tenant laws and intake interview techniques. The clinic is a unique opportunity for students to be exposed to many different housing issues that affect the low-income community in Sacramento County. Volunteers will gain experience interviewing clients, assessing the merits of cases, and preparing pleadings.
Rural Education and Access to Law (REAL)
The REAL program is not a traditional clinic; students travel to rural areas of California to meet their clients in the field. Pacific McGeorge students have the opportunity twice per year to volunteer to travel on the PIC “Justice Bus” to underserved communities in rural northern California.
University of Toledo: College of Law
The College of Law Legal Clinic
The Clinic is a one-semester course in which student interns provide direct legal representation, under the supervision of clinical faculty, to clients within the community who cannot afford to hire private legal counsel. The Legal Clinic combines a structured classroom curriculum with individualized instruction and collaborative learning opportunities to prepare interns to competently represent clients, grapple with complex ethical issues, critically examine the law and legal profession, and advance the social justice mission of the law school.
The Dispute Resolution Clinic
The Clinic is a one-semester course in which students are trained to serve as volunteer mediators in local courts throughout Northwest Ohio. Students mediate a variety of matters including small claims issues and cases involving unruly and delinquent youth. In preparation for their fieldwork, students are required to complete a two-day, 16 hour basic mediation training course which is offered the week prior to the start of each semester.
The Domestic Violence Clinic
The Domestic Violence Clinic is a one semester course in which students provide legal assistance to clients who experience interpersonal violence. Students work under the supervision of clinical faculty and perform all of the traditional functions of a civil attorney, including interviewing and counseling clients, conducting legal research, developing case theories, engaging in discovery and motion practice, negotiating with opposing counsel, drafting pleadings and other legal documents, presenting oral arguments in court, and taking appropriate cases to trial and appeal, if warranted. Readings, classroom lectures, simulations and videos complement live civil practice.
University of Tulsa: College of Law
Immigrant Rights Project
The Immigrant Rights Project is a one-semester, four-credit clinical program in which law students represent non-citizens in immigration matters. The Immigrant Rights Project's clients primarily includes persons seeking asylum in the United States as a result of persecution or a fear of persecution in their home countries. The clinic also represents non-citizen victims of domestic violence, unaccompanied non-citizen minors, or other non-citizens subject to removal and immigration detention. Representation occurs in adversarial administrative hearings before immigration judges; in non-adversarial agency interviews; in appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals; or, in appeals to the federal courts.
Tulsa Immigrant Resource Network
TIRN is a service oriented program, designed to reach broadly many members of the non-citizen community in the Kendall-Whittier neighborhood, and beyond. TIRN complements the Immigrant Rights Project. TIRN has three primary goals: 1) Create and Train a network of local attorneys to provide pro bono representation to vulnerable immigrants; 2) Educate the community, especially the immigrant community, on legal rights and immigration remedies; and 3) Offer direct representation to immigrants, including those in removal proceedings, in the Kendall-Whittier and surrounding neighborhoods.
Social Enterprise and Economic Development Law Project (SEED)
The SEED Law Project teaches transactional lawyering skills to student attorneys through the representation of small businesses and community-based organizations. It is a one-semester, six-credit course that provides students with both challenging client work and a rigorous classroom component. Under the supervision of Professor Patience Crowder, students provide direct, pro bono representation to SEED clients, which include entrepreneurs, community associations, and non-profit organizations. Client work includes drafting corporate formation documents; assisting nonprofit organizations with tax-exempt applications and maintenance of tax-exempt status; drafting and negotiating contracts and real estate transactions; acting as general counsel to small businesses and non-profit organizations; and working with local government agencies. Students research issues related to public policies that affect SEED clients and make presentations to community groups.
University of Utah College of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
Advocacy for the Elderly – Students represent elderly clients in negotiations, administrative hearings, and court proceedings on a variety of legal matters, including basic wills and powers of attorney, guardianships, consumer issues, Medicaid and Medicare benefits, nursing home regulation and quality of long-term care, elder abuse and neglect, and advance medical directives. Students develop practical skills by participating in client interviewing, counseling, and trial advocacy. Students may engage in policy analysis and advocacy work with partnering organizations including including the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA), the Legal Aid Justice Center, the Virginia Elder Rights Coalition, and the Senior Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association.
Appellate Litigation – Students brief and argue one or more appeals before a federal appeals court. The rules and procedure applicable in the federal appellate system are examined. Fundamentals of oral and written appellate advocacy are discussed, with a focus on each student's individual project. All students practice oral argument and one per case argue the appeal before the courts.
Capital Post-Conviction Clinic – This clinic provides students the opportunity to assist in litigating a capital habeas case, and gain intensive experience handling certain phases of post-conviction litigation. The clinic is centered around cases assigned to the Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center. Students are assigned in groups of three to a particular case. Ordinarily, students receive the case at, or close to, inception (i.e., after denial of direct appeal by the Virginia Supreme Court). The class discusses elements peculiar to capital cases, such as voir dire, aggravating and mitigating evidence, and constitutional narrowing requirements. Other classes discuss issues such as the following: the unique character of certiorari review and the particular demands it places on identifying, developing, and presenting promising issues; the purpose, procedure and pitfalls of state post-conviction review; and the purposes and limitations upon federal post-conviction review.
In the course of representing their client, students work on direct appeal-related issues, certiorari issues, and post-conviction issues. Depending on the particular case, students may be able to work on habeas petitions at the state and federal level as well as preparing writs of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. At the end of the clinic, students are expected to have performed original research on substantive issues in the litigation; written draft claims, motions, legal and investigative memoranda and correspondence; and engaged in a field investigation of their particular case.
Child Advocacy Clinic – This is a year-long clinic. Students represent children involved in legal issues in the areas of education, foster care and social services, mental health and developmental disabilities, and laws governing services to children who have been found delinquent. Students represent children in negotiations and administrative hearings, and participate in court proceedings to the extent permitted by law. Offered in conjunction with the Legal Aid Justice Center.
Criminal Defense Clinic – The Criminal Practice Clinic provides a first-hand study of the processes, techniques, strategy, and responsibilities of legal representation at the trial level. The casework component of the clinic engages students in representing defendants in actual criminal cases arising in the local courts under the direct supervision of an experienced local criminal defense attorney. The students themselves—not their supervising attorneys—ordinarily perform all of the lawyering functions associated with their cases, including interviewing, investigation, research, negotiation and courtroom advocacy.
Employment Law Clinic – In cooperation with the Legal Aid Justice Center and local attorneys, students participate in litigating actual employment cases. Cases may include wrongful discharge actions, unemployment compensation claims, employment discrimination charges, or any other claims arising out of the employment relationship. Assignments vary according to the inventory of cases available at the time, but students should be able to conduct client interviews, participate in discovery, draft motions, assist with trial preparation and possibly argue some motions.
Environmental Practice Clinic – The Southern Environmental Law Center supervises up to six students engaged in environmental practice activities at the Center in Charlottesville. The types of cases which may be pending are Clean Water Act citizen suits, wetlands cases, air permit appeals, road projects, NEPA challenges, and forest management cases. Students are involved in legal and factual research, as well as writing pleadings, briefs and other significant documents.
First Amendment Clinic – This is a semester-long clinic. Students take on ligtigation and non-litigation projects in First Amendment areas.
Housing Law Clinic – Offered in conjunction with the Legal Aid Justice Center, the clinic includes both a seminar and supervised client representation in housing-related cases and matters. The caseload includes administrative proceedings and other matters for indigent clients, and presents issues under private landlord-tenant contracts, federally subsidized rental programs, and statutes such as the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students handle eviction cases, rent escrow cases, grievance hearings, avoidance of illegal or unfair lease provisions, abatement of substandard building conditions, and other enforcement of residents' rights. Under the supervision of an attorney, all students perform the lawyer functions associated with their cases, including client and witness interviews, factual development, legal research, preparation of pleadings, and negotiation. Students with Third-Year Practice certification are also responsible for courtroom advocacy.
Immigration Law Clinic – This semester-long clinic is offered in conjunction with the Legal Aid Justice Center. Students are assigned several clients and handle at least one complex case involving extensive client interviewing, factual investigation, and legal briefs. Students may work with clients appealing denials of applications for status, appealing for special categorization or procedures, or with clients who have cases complicated by past criminal or immigration histories. In addition to covering complex statutory, regulatory, and case law, the clinic covers skills such as eliciting information from abuse victims and working through cultural and language differences.
International Human Rights Law Clinic – This semester-long clinical course gives students first-hand experience in human rights advocacy under the supervision of international human rights lawyers. Projects are designed to help students build the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective human rights lawyers and to integrate the theory and practice of human rights. Each student works on two projects. There is no live-client representation in this clinic.
Patent and Licensing Clinic I – The clinic involves practical training in patent drafting as well as the negotiation and drafting of patent and software license agreements. Students are assigned to one or more significant drafting and counseling projects and work in the office of the University of Virginia Patent Foundation one day per week. The clinic experience covers the evaluation of inventions and computer software for patentability and commercial value; counseling of inventors regarding patentability, inventorship, and the patenting process; preparation, filing and prosecution of provisional U.S. patent applications; dealing with patent examiners; and researching current issues in the fields of intellectual property and technology transfer.
Patent and Licensing Clinic II – The second semester of the Patent and Licensing Clinic involves many of the same projects as Patent and Licensing I, but in this clinic the student can choose to work exclusively with patent attorneys drafting, filing, and prosecuting patent applications (and associated tasks like prior art searches and evaluations, meeting with faculty inventors, preparing information disclosure statements, etc.), or working exclusively with licensing agents to draft license agreements, negotiate licensing terms and conditions, prepare confidentiality agreements and marketing documents. Students may be exposed to international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Students will resolve disputes where appropriate. In conjunction with the University of Virginia Patent Foundation.
Prosecution Clinic – Students explore a range of practical, ethical, and intellectual issues involved in the discharge of a prosecutor's duties and responsibilities, including the exercise of discretion in the decision to initiate, prosecute, reduce or drop charges; interaction between prosecutors and investigative agencies and law enforcement personnel; dealing with victims and other witnesses; and relationships with defense counsel. Ethical issues may include: discovery and exculpatory evidence, duty not to prosecute on less than probable cause, cross-warrant situations, prosecution of multiple defendants and joint trial, witness recantation and preparation, and improper argument at trial. Clinical field placements are in the Commonwealth's Attorneys' offices for Charlottesville and Albemarle County , and 10 other surrounding Virginia jurisdictions within one hour of Charlottesville , as well as the Charlottesville office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. Students are expected to work on pending cases at least one day per week. First semester classes cover arrest, first appearances, bond hearings, preliminary hearings, Grand Jury, suppression hearings, competence and sanity issues, motions in limine, and trial, as well as assisting the police during the investigative stage, and the Commonwealth's right of appeal. Second semester classes cover the charging decision and amending charges, constitutional concerns (such as Fourth Amendment search and seizure issues, Fifth Amendment confession and Miranda issues, Sixth Amendment right to counsel, Fifth Amendment double jeopardy clause), constitutional and statutory speedy trial, capital punishment, insanity/competency, conspiracies, accessories, plea agreements, prosecutorial immunity, federal/state differences, and juvenile defendants. Some clinical placements require a full FBI background investigation prior to the student assuming responsibilities.
University of Washington: University of Washington School of Law
Children & Youth Advocacy – http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/child.html
Environmental Law – http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/environmental.html
Entrepreneurial Law – http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/Entrepreneurial/Default.aspx
Federal Tax – http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/taxpayer.html
Immigration Law – Representation of clients involved in immigration proceedings - http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/Immigration.html
Innocence Project Northwest – http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/IPNW.html
Legislative Advocacy – http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/LegAdv/Default.aspx
Mediation – http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/mediation.html
Street Law – http://www.law.washington.edu/streetlaw/
Tribal Court Criminal Defense – http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/tribal.html
Unemployment Compensation – http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/unemployment.html
University of Wisconsin: Law School
Legal Assistance to Institutionalized Persons Project.. The Legal Assistance to Institutionalized Persons Project is the largest of the Remington Center’s clinical projects. In LAIP, students work under the direct supervision of clinical faculty to provide legal assistance to state and federal prison inmates throughout Wisconsin. http://www.law.wisc.edu/fjr/laip/index.htm
The Clinical Semester. The Clinical Semester is an intensive immersion learning experience open to a limited number of second-and third-year students in the fall semester. Students represent clients at the federal prison at Oxford, Wisconsin. The students develop their lawyering abilities by assisting their clients with a wide variety of problems, generally centering around the validity of federal convictions and sentences under the complex federal sentencing guidelines. http://www.law.wisc.edu/clinics/ClinicalSemester.htm
The Criminal Appeals Project. The Criminal Appeals Project gives students an opportunity to be directly involved in the appellate process. Under the direct supervision of clinical faculty, students work in pairs on the appeal of two criminal convictions. http://www.law.wisc.edu/fjr/crimappeals/index.htm
Family Law/Restorative Justice Project. The Family Law Project is a civil law project serving incarcerated clients. Students work under the direct supervision of clinical faculty to provide legal assistance to state and federal prison inmates throughout Wisconsin. The Restorative Justice Project gives students the opportunity to practice mediation skills and assess the effectiveness of an alternative dispute resolution process by providing mediation between the victims of crime and the criminal offenders. http://www.law.wisc.edu/fjr/restorative/
Innocence Project. In the Innocence Project, law students, under the direct supervision of clinical faculty, investigate and litigate claims of innocence in cases involving inmates in state and federal prisons in Wisconsin and elsewhere. http://www.law.wisc.edu/fjr/innocence/index.htm
Consumer Law Litigation Clinic. The Consumer Law Litigation Clinic represents low- and moderate-income consumers in individual and class action lawsuits in federal and state courts. It trains students in all aspects of civil litigation. http://www.law.wisc.edu/fjr/eji/consumer/index.htm
Family Court Assistance Project. The Family Court Assistance Project is a clinical program designed to help make the legal system more accessible to low-income, unrepresented people with divorce, post-divorce, paternity, and restraining order matters. Students do not serve as advocates, but rather as facilitators/mediators, working with the parties to prepare cases for decision. http://www.law.wisc.edu/fjr/eji/familycourt/index.htm
Neighborhood Law Project. NLP provides a broad range of legal services designed to enhance the economic well-being of the residents of one of Madison’s neighborhoods. http://www.law.wisc.edu/fjr/eji/neighborhood/index.htm
Legal Defense Program. LDP is a year-round, in-house criminal defense clinical program consisting of both a clinical component and a trial advocacy component. http://www.law.wisc.edu/ldp/
Center for Patient Partnerships. The Center for Patient Partnerships is a national resource for strengthening the consumer perspective in health care and building more effective partnerships among patients, providers, and other stakeholders. http://www.law.wisc.edu/patientadvocacy/
University of Wyoming School of Law
Valparaiso University: Valparaiso University School of Law
Vanderbilt University Law School
Civil Practice Clinic – Introduction to civil law practice gained by representing clients through the Vanderbilt Legal Clinic, a legal aid office located in the Law School building. Students are supervised by clinical faculty during all stages of representation, from initial interviews through trials and appeals. The course emphasizes the techniques of client interviewing and counseling; fact-finding and formal discovery; negotiation; trial and administrative advocacy; and the role of the lawyer in the legal system.
http://law.vanderbilt.edu/academics/curriculum/elective-courses/civil-practice-clinic/index.aspx
Community & Economic Development Clinic – The Community and Economic Development Clinic represents low income communities in forming entities and finding creative legal solutions to economic and legal issues. Students provide transactional legal services that help an individual, group, or organization to initiate operation, continue operation, or address a particular legal problem. The Clinic does not provide any legal assistance in initiating or defending litigation. The Community and Economic Development Clinic provides transactional legal services for client groups engaged in different kinds of neighborhood-based community development. It represents and helps organize small non-profits and businesses, and tenants’ associations in the public and private sectors, all of whom share the goal of developing different kinds of resources for greatly underserved urban communities. Through participation in the Clinic, students enhance their understanding of business concepts through the representation of traditionally underserved clients. Students also have the opportunity to examine the ethical and social change issues involved in group transactional representation as an innovative approach to poverty law practice.
Criminal Practice Clinic – Students obtain experience in pretrial, trial, and post-conviction matters under the close supervision of clinical faculty. Students represent individuals charged with felonies from indictment through disposition - either trial or plea negotiation and sentencing - and, in some instances, on appeal. In addition, students handle post-conviction relief petitions on behalf of persons in prison.
http://law.vanderbilt.edu/academics/curriculum/elective-courses/criminal-practice-clinic/index.aspx
Domestic Violence Clinic – Under the close supervision of a faculty member, students in the Domestic Violence Clinic represent victims of domestic violence in civil matters. Representation focuses on obtaining orders of protection and on divorce and custody matters. Through their representation, students learn about and experience interviewing and counseling, negotiation, investigation and discovery, advocacy techniques and the role of the lawyer in the legal system. Students also gain insight into the sociological and psychological aspects of domestic violence by working collaboratively with other service providers to victims of domestic violence.
http://law.vanderbilt.edu/academics/curriculum/elective-courses/domestic-violence-clinic/index.aspx
Intellectual Property and the Arts Clinic – The Intellectual Property and the Arts Clinic allows students to practice and represent clients in the areas of intellectual property and the arts. Students, under faculty supervision, will represent and counsel individuals, businesses, organizations, groups and associations in matters in various intellectual property fields, including, but not limited to, copyright, trademark, publicity rights, and trade secrets. Such work may include drafting, filing, and prosecuting copyright registrations and trademark applications; negotiating and drafting contracts; transactional projects, such as acquisitions, sales, and transfers of intellectual property or licensing agreements; advising and counseling clients; policy development and advocacy; internet and technology issues; and litigation. In addition, students will work with entertainers, artists, and arts organizations on other legal matters such as entertainment-related contracts; music and film industry issues; and the drafting and filing of corporate and non-profit documents for arts and entertainment-related organizations.
Legislative Clinic – The Legislative Clinic allows students to take advantage of internships in the Vermont General Assembly, where students are assigned to a standing committee of the state legislature. Under the supervision of the committee’s chair and a legislative counsel, they complete legal research and draft projects relating to pending legislation. http://www.vermontlaw.edu/experiential/index.cfm?doc_id=169
Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic – The Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, building on VLS's expertise in environmental and natural resources law and our extensive connections throughout the local, regional, and national conservation communities, provides student clinicians the opportunity to work on behalf of public interest, environmental, and conservation organizations to provide creative legal assistance on significant environmental problems. http://www.vermontlaw.edu/experiential/index.cfm?doc_id=144
Mediation Field Work – Mediation Field Work offers mediation services to parties involved in a variety of disputes, including landlord-tenant, consumer and neighborhood matters.
South Royalton Legal Clinic – The South Royalton Legal Clinic provides representation to indigent clients in civil matters such as family law, juvenile law and children's rights, Social Security, welfare and unemployment compensation, civil rights and civil liberties, landlord-tenant relations, consumer protection, bankruptcy, contracts, wills, and federally subsidized health care and housing. The Clinic recently has begun to provide some representation in immigration law, as well. http://www.vermontlaw.edu/experiential/index.cfm?doc_id=146
Villanova University: Villanova University School of Law
Advanced Advocacy Clinic - A limited number of students who have already completed a semester in the clinical program may continue with their studies in an advanced setting. Admission and credit amount are determined prior to registration at the discretion of the faculty, in consultation with the Academic Dean.
Civil Justice Clinic - Students represent low-income clients in various civil matters, including family law, housing and governmental benefits.
Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services (CARES) - Students represent refugees who are seeking asylum in the United States because of threatened persecution in their home countries.
Farmworker Legal Aid Clinic - Students represent farmworkers living and working on Pennsylvania farms in a variety of legal matters, including worker's compensation and housing.
Federal Tax Clinic - Students represent low-income taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service and in the U.S. Tax Court.
Mediation Practicum - After extensive training, students act as frontline mediators in the Philadelphia Municipal Court Mediation Program.
Villanova Capital Defense Practicum - Students in this Practicum work 16 hours per week with attorneys from the Capital Habeas Corpus Unit of the Federal Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on death penalty cases in current litigation.
Wake Forest University School of Law
Wake Forest students participate in a number of formal legal clinics offering low-cost or free legal services to the community. Clinics include:
Appellate Advocacy Clinic
Child Advocacy Clinic
Community Law & Business Clinic
Elder Law Clinic
Innocence & Justice Clinic
Litigation Clinic (some placements)
Washburn University School of Law
Washburn University School of Law has an in-house law clinic. Students who have completed 50 credit hours of law school may enroll for 4 or 5 credit hours. The Law Clinic represents indigent clients in the areas of: debtor/creditor, consumer law, landlord/tenant, domestic relations, bankruptcy, adoption, juvenile law, child in need of care, criminal defense, and prison disciplinary hearings. Representation in these cases occurs in state courts, municipal courts, federal courts and appellate courts. Washburn also offers a separate mediation clinic.
Washington and Lee University: School of Law
Legal Practice Clinic: includes Black Lung legal assistance program and Alderson Federal Women's Prison legal assistance program.
Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse: assists defense counsel in death penalty cases and publishes journal on current developments in death penalty law.
Washington University: Washington University School of Law
Wayne State University Law School
Criminal Appellate Practice; Disability Law Clinic; Free Legal Aid Clinic (Family Law); Small Business Enterprises and Nonprofit Corporations Clinic
West Virginia University College of Law
Clinical Law Program - http://www.wvu.edu/~law/clinic/clinic.htm
Immigration Clinic - A five-credit hour experience representing immigration clients under the supervision of faculty and adjunct faculty experts.
Western New England College: School of Law
Small Business Clinic
Civil Law -- Public Interest Clinic
Consumer Protection Clinic
Criminal Law -- Prosecution Clinic
Real Estate Practicum
Western State University College of Law
The Western State Legal Clinic accepts a wide range of public interest cases.
Whittier Law School: Whittier Law School
Family Violence Advocacy Clinic – Direct client service, court appearances, advocacy.
General Children's Advocacy Clinic – Direct client service, court appearances, advocacy
Legal Policy Clinic – Policy advocacy
Special Education Advocacy Clinic – Direct client service. Mediation and advocacy.
Widener University School of Law--Delaware Campus
Bankruptcy Clinic - Students represent clients before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). Widener student attorneys help provide relief from sometimes crushing, disheartening debt for indigent clients in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Student attorneys conduct interviews and do research, develop strategies with Professor Nathaniel Nichols, negotiate with creditors and proceed in federal court with Chapter 7, Chapter 13 and related cases.
More information may be found at: http://www.law.widener.edu/academics/clinics_externships/de_pa_civil.shtml
Delaware Civil Clinic - The Delaware Civil Clinic provides free legal services to indigent clients with civil legal problems and operates in conjunction with Delaware Volunteer Legal Services(DVLS), the pro bono arm of the Delaware State Bar Association. Third year students are admitted to the limited practice of law pursuant to Delaware Supreme Court Rule 56 and represent clients in Family Court.
More information may be found at: http://www.law.widener.edu/academics/clinics_externships/de_civil.shtml
Environmental Law Clinic - Widener students work with a regional public interest law firm in litigating violations of environmental laws. They interview clients and witnesses, investigate polluters, and research the applicable laws. They discuss and prepare case strategies with professors and other attorneys; draft pleadings, motions and agreements; and appear in courts throughout the Mid-Atlantic region on behalf of Clinic clients.
More information may be found at: http://www.law.widener.edu/academics/clinics_externships/de_environmental.shtml
Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic - Students represent clients in a variety of matters. Students are assigned a caseload of between 5 and 10 cases. A student's caseload will typically contain a mix of case types, although virtually every student will represents at least one divorce client and at least one bankruptcy client. The students are responsible for maintaining the files, corresponding with clients, negotiating with opposing counsel, and representing clients in court. Students are given maximum independence in seeking decisions on how to handle their cases. The students interview clients, negotiate with opposing counsel, and when needed, try cases in court. Faculty members are always available to provide help when needed, but the students benefit from the direct involvement that only a clinic can provide.
More information can be found at: http://www.law.widener.edu/academics/clinics_externships/hb_civil.shtml
Pennsylvania Civil Clinic - Students represent clients in family law matters often arising from financial problems leading to bankruptcy proceedings. Students practicing family law regularly appear before hearing masters and judges. Students handle matters such as custody, increase or reduction of child support orders, contempt petitions, and name change petitions.
More information may be found at: http://www.law.widener.edu/academics/clinics_externships/de_pa_civil.shtml
Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Clinic - Students represent indigent persons accused of crimes in the Pennsylvania state courts of Chester County (West Chester). Widener student attorneys also regularly join Professor Judith Ritter in the post-conviction representation of defendants on death row, crafting briefs to be filed with the Supreme Court of the United States.
http://www.law.widener.edu/academics/clinics_externships/de_pa_criminal.shtml
Veterans Assistance Program - Students represent disabled veterans and/or their dependents before the Department of Veterans Affairs and Article I and Article III Federal Courts that handle veteran matters.
More information can be found at: http://www.law.widener.edu/academics/clinics_externships/de_veterans.shtml
Willamette University: Willamette University College of Law
The Clinical Law Program gives Willamette students the opportunity to represent clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of Willamette faculty. The goal of the program is to instill in our students a strong sense of professionalism, standards of excellence, and an appreciation for the importance of reflection and balance in the practice of law. Through the program, students have opportunities to represent real clients in transactional and litigation contexts. Students working in the clinic may represent abused and neglected children in need of a safe and loving adoptive family, or a victim of domestic violence seeking a restraining order, a custody order and child support so he or she can begin a new life in safety. Another client may be a local nonprofit corporation seeking advice on issues related to incorporation, tax-exempt status and liability issues. Other clients are refugees seeking asylum from political dangers to themselves and their families. Students also may represent a terminally ill client wanting to prepare a will, name a guardian to care for his or her children, or seeking advice on assisted suicide. The Clinical Law Program comprises six advanced legal education courses, including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates, Sustainability Law, Child and Family Advocacy, Law and Government, and International Human Rights. Clients are primarily nonprofit corporations and people of modest economic means. http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/clp/index.php
William and Mary School of Law
Information about the following public interest clinics is available at http://law.wm.edu/academics/programs/jd/electives/clinics/index.php
Domestic Violence Clinic
Federal Tax Practice Clinic
Innocence Project Clinic
Legal Aid Clinic
Special Education Advocacy Clinic
Veterans' Benefits Clinic
William Mitchell College of Law: William Mitchell College of Law
Apprenticeship Program
Business Law
Civil Advocacy
Community Development
Criminal Appeals
Criminal Justice
Immigration Law
Intellectual Property Clinic
Law & Psychiatry
Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners (LAMP)
Legal Planning For Tax-Exempt Organizations and Low Income Clients
Misdemeanor
Reentry Clinic for Women
Note: Many students use the Independent Clinic option to create their own public interest clinic opportunity. Students may earn credit by participating in lawyering experiences outside the formal clinical courses offered. The plan must contain educational objectives, a description of the fieldwork, and a proposed method of evaluation.
Yale University: Yale Law School
Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization
The Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization (LSO) provides legal representation to individuals and organizations who cannot afford private attorneys. Students, supervised by law school faculty members and participating attorneys, interview clients, write briefs, prepare witnesses, try cases, negotiate settlements, draft legislation, draft documents, represent organizations and argue appeals in state and federal courts, including the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Connecticut Supreme Court.
All LSO projects involve close collaboration among new students, experienced students and supervising clinical faculty. Investigating, developing and using facts are essential elements of lawyering and, therefore, of LSO’s work. LSO also devotes special attention to ethical issues of professional responsibility and client-centered lawyering. Cases brought by LSO and its legislative efforts have helped make new law protecting the rights of clients in the various projects.
Advocacy for Children and Youth Clinic Community and Economic Development
Complex Federal Litigation Clinic
Domestic Violence Clinic
Criminal Defense Project
Education Adequacy Project
Immigration Legal Services Clinic
Landlord/Tenant Clinic
Lawyering Ethics
Legislative Advocacy
Legal Services for Immigrant Communities Clinic
Prison Legal Services Clinic
Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic
Other Law School Clinics
Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic
Balancing Civil Liberties and National Securities after September 11
Environmental Protection Clinic
Nonprofit Organizations Clinic
Yeshiva University: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Alexander Fellows Program
In this selective program, students work as full-time law clerks for federal judges in the New York City area.
Bet Tzedek Legal Services Clinic
Students represent elderly clients or those with disabilities in civil matters, including cases involving entitlement to government benefits, housing issues, consumer matters, family problems and wills.
Criminal Appeals Clinic
Students receive intensive training in appellate advocacy, learn New York State criminal procedure, and argue an appeal in court.
Criminal Defense Clinic
Representing defendants charged with misdemeanors in the Manhattan Criminal Court, students work with clients from their initial interview through trial and sentencing.
Family Court Clinic
Students are placed for one-semester with a Family Court judge or with an attorney representing clients in Family Court.
Holocaust Claims Restitution Practicum
The first of its kind at an American law school, this one-semester clinic has students investigate and pursue claims made by Holocaust survivors and their heirs.
Housing Rights Clinic
Students assist in providing advice to unrepresented litigants in Housing Court and may work with the clinical supervisor on housing law reform projects, an intensive lawyering experience that includes litigation and public policy.
Human Rights and Genocide Clinic
A one-semester introduction to international human rights litigation and advocacy in coordination with nongovernmental organizations and United Nations offices here and abroad.
Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic
In this year-long clinic, students represent immigrants facing deportation in immigration court and in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Innocence Project
The model for similar programs in law schools around the country, this innovative clinic was founded and supervised by Prof. Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld. Students represent convicted prisoners in their claim of innocence through post-conviction DNA testing.
Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP)
A two-week intensive practicum in which second- and third-year students learn and practice litigation skills in a simulated courtroom experience.
Labor and Employment Law Clinic
Students in this year-long clinic represent clients of various labor and employment law matters arising under the wage and hour laws, collective bargaining agreements, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and the Unemployment Compensation Law.
Mediation Clinic
The centerpiece of Cardozo's Alternative Dispute Resolution Program, this clinic is where students learn to become problem solvers and develop communication, negotiation, and drafting skills. Students mediate disputes between landlords and tenants, family members, neighbors, community groups, business partners, and teachers and students.
Prosecutor Practicum
Students in this full-time internship work as student assistant district attorneys at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Securities Arbitration Clinic
Students serve as advocates for claimants in securities arbitration and mediation cases.
Tax Clinic
Students have primary responsibility in representing clients with tax controversies.
- landlord/tenant and other housing law issues
