A typical day for a clinic student may include a meeting with a client, an on-site visit, and library time for research. The student may work on drafting a contract or litigation document, or meet with the clinical professor to discuss strategy. Another day could be the clinical seminar to explore an ethical or substantive issue, or a meeting with students from other clinics to learn about other topics and share ideas and thoughts about the legal profession. Another day could include a court appearance or presentation to a client`s board of directors and include travel — across the state, country or world. For SLS student lawyers, it`s all part of their day-to-day activities. Professor Roberts expressed pride that the clinical program prepares students to practice with skill and integrity while promoting the ideals of duty and service to others as advocates for citizens. Stanford clinics represent an investment of exceptional resources in the highest educational standards. The professors who run the clinics are not only exceptional lawyers; These are lawyers who have dedicated their careers to creating environments and case numbers to teach lessons and skills that will launch a young lawyer`s career and last a lifetime. Clinical cases are not only interesting – they are cases chosen for their pedagogical potential. The Domestic Violence Clinic educates residents of domestic violence shelters about legal issues and their rights, and helps victims obtain protection orders from their abusers. The Federal Tax Clinic helps low-income taxpayers with their disputes with the IRS, disputes that can often have disastrous financial consequences for people living paycheck to paycheck.
Students at the Legal Aid Clinic could litigate a landlord-tenant dispute, manage a divorce, or represent a client in an unemployment claim. Cases involve a variety of legal issues, but the implications in each are far-reaching, Professor Roberts noted, because clients are people who otherwise could not afford representation. Known simply as “The Law Offices of Chicago-Kent” since the early 1980s, C-K Law Group pioneered clinical legal education by introducing a fee-generating model designed to replicate the experience of working in a private law firm. Our clinic takes the concept of experiential learning through practice to a whole new level, allowing students to work on challenging litigation and transactional issues in many areas while being mentored by highly experienced and ethical practitioners. Students have the opportunity to participate in many, if not all, aspects of a case, including client interviews. Discovery; preparation of motions, pleadings and correspondence; pre-litigation conferences; Evidence; preparing a settlement or legal proceeding; and sometimes even argue before a judge. The VBC has expanded this interdisciplinary model across institutions and disciplines, creating the Helping Military Veterans through Higher Education Consortium, which expands support for VBC clients while enriching the educational experience of participating law students. “This clinical experience really reminded me why I chose law school,” said K.N. Barrett, a third-year law student who also holds a master`s degree from William & Mary`s Thomas Jefferson program in public policy. “Seeing working with real clients and the impact of my work is extremely rewarding and knowing that I am doing my part to help those who serve our country was the highlight of my experience in law school.” Cardozo offers 11 in-house clinics where students can gain hands-on experience in various practice areas. Students work alongside experienced lawyers to represent clients and develop practical skills for courts, legal negotiations and commercial transactions. Recognizing that legal education must include preparing students for both the practice of law and membership in the profession, the law school added three new clinics this year — the Elder Law Clinic, the Appeals and Supreme Court Clinic, and the Virginia Coast Policy Clinic — that now offer clinical experience to 150 students per year.
Students at the school`s nine clinics provide more than 14,000 hours of pro bono work each year to underserved clients, including seniors, children with special needs and veterans. Cardozo`s simulation courses offer hands-on experience with intensive training at boot camp for litigation work as well as business transactions, allowing students to gain real-world and judicial experience under the supervision of high-level practitioners. Yes, but pay attention to the timing. Working in the department requires access to information from the Department of Justice, IT systems from the Department of Justice and Department of Justice facilities. Security rules allow short-term access for up to six months. After six months or for two short-term commitments over a 12-month period, a background check is required. In some cases, organizations sponsoring legal practitioners may not be able to justify the time and cost of the business intelligence process in these short-term employment situations. If you have previously completed an internship or clerkship at the Department of Justice and are considering a second internship at the Department of Justice within 12 months of the start of the first internship, we recommend that you resolve this issue with the hiring component before accepting an offer. At Stanford, students attend their clinics full-time, with no competing academic commitments.
Law students become “student lawyers” for their clinical term, certified by the California State Bar to practice law under the supervision of their clinical teachers. During the term, they go to work every day and manage their professional time and obligations like lawyers. Without competing academic commitments, the pace of learning is fast and the learning curve steep; Students quickly and completely take responsibility for their clients. At the PELE Clinic, students assist families of children with special needs at meetings in the areas of child science, eligibility, and Individual Education Program (IEP) to obtain the education to which they are legally entitled. Law students also participate in mediation, due process, and formal grievance procedures, and engage in community education and outreach work that provides parents with legal knowledge and advocacy strategies. A current student at the clinic, Kevin Jules `13, noted that the clinic has allowed him to “use and develop practical skills such as interviewing actual clients, research, advocacy, and tracking my time spent, all under the supervision of an experienced lawyer trained in the field of special education law. The experience was truly amazing! Alexzandria Poole `13 said the clinic gave her insight into the value of communication skills: “Personalities, interpersonal relationships and group dynamics influence outcomes just as much as the application of legal research to a particular topic. If you don`t know how to deal with people – whether it`s your client, your teacher or your administrators, etc. – you won`t be able to be an effective advocate. Founded in 2007, Mills Legal Clinic is an important part of Stanford Law`s mission to prepare every student for the challenges, responsibilities, and rewards of a career as a lawyer. This intensive training ground provides opportunities for individual and hands-on learning and shapes future lawyers of any career aspiration, whether they choose to work at a large law firm, become entrepreneurs, enter politics, or engage in public service full-time.
And because the clinic is a full-time experience – an SLS award – you can dive without distractions.
