SlideShare ist ein Scribd-Unternehmen logo
1 von 19
Downloaden Sie, um offline zu lesen
Establishment of
Law Clinics
By
Muhammad Shahid Shafiq
District & Sessions Judge
Hon’ble Chief Justice of
Pakistan while addressing
a stone-laying ceremony
of phase-II of the Federal
Judicial Academy (FJA),
said that
“judicial education and
research in the field of
administration of justice
are matters of prime
importance. The quality of
administration of justice
and the structure of
judicial system stand
firmly on the quality of
education in professional
training institutions.”
Law & Justice view point
The law students of today are the judges
and lawyers of tomorrow. In fact, the
performance of the justice sector is
dependent on the quality of their
professionalism, skills and knowledge.
Thus there is a strong linkage between the
quality of human resources available to
judiciary and the functionality, integrity and
legitimacy of the courts system.
Law Clinics - An attempt to
upgrade judicial system and
facilitate law students in
developing their
professional skills and
capabilities to handle court
proceedings
Definition and Concept
The phrase legal clinic' (or law clinic)
may refer to any private, nonprofit law
practice serving the public interest.
In the academic context, these law school
clinics provide hands-on experience to law
school students and services to various
(typically indigent) clients. Academic
Clinics are usually directed by clinical
professors.
Many legal clinics offer pro bono work in
one or more particular areas, providing
free legal services to clients.
Definition and Concept
Students typically provide assistance
with research, drafting legal
arguments, and meeting with clients.
In many cases, one of the clinic's
professors will show up for oral
argument before the Court. However,
many jurisdictions have "student
practice" rules that allow law-clinic
students to appear and argue in court.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_clinic
Countries running the Clinics
 USA
 United Kingdom
 Russia
 Czech Republic
 Poland
 Belarus
 France
 Slovakia
 Somaliland
 Croatia
 Germany
 India
 Serbia
 Romania
 Hungary
 Moldova
 Spain
 Latvia
 Israel
 Canada
Michigan Law School
For 30 years, Michigan Law School has
offered clinical programs designed to hone
tangible legal skills. They allow students to
provide direct representation to clients
under the supervision of experienced, full-
time faculty. Under the State of Michigan's
court rules, students may begin practicing
law as early as their 2L year and receive
course credit for the experience.
Indian initiative
One of the avowed objectives of the
National Law School of India University is to
promote legal education and research. In
pursuance of the same the Legal Services
Clinic offers legal and paralegal services by
the faculty and the students. It not only
provides a centre for practical professional
training for students of law, but more
importantly, provides free legal services to
the socially and the economically backward
sections of the society who have difficulty
accessing the judicial system..
Skill-Building Opportunities
With clinical faculty supervising,
students may prepare for each
aspect of their cases, from
interviewing clients and witnesses
to negotiating with opposing
counsel, drafting pleadings and
conducting trials. They may move
beyond the theory of the classroom
into the real-world practice of law.
FAQs About the Clinic
http://www.law.umi
ch.edu/clinical/gen
eralclinic/Pages/FA
Qs.aspx
FAQs About the Clinic
Q What kind of legal work does the clinic
do?
A Clinic handles a lot of different kinds
of court cases, but not everything. Our
caseload usually includes landlord-
tenant, consumer fraud, contract
disputes, prisoners' civil rights,
discrimination and sexual harassment,
political asylum and refugee, mortgage
foreclosure, criminal misdemeanor
defense, mortgage, torts, habeas
corpus, debt collection defense, social
security, or other public benefits
claims.
Q Who are the lawyers in the
clinic?
A Law students, supervised by
faculty members who are
experienced practicing lawyers.
Q Who are the clients that the clinic
represents?
A People who have a legal problem
but cannot afford to hire a private
lawyer.
Who are the clients that the clinic
represents?
People who have a legal problem
but cannot afford to hire a private
lawyer.
What courts do clinic students go
to?
Almost any of the state or federal
courts or agencies in Michigan, at
both the trial and appellate levels.
 Do the law students go to court?
 Yes, the student lawyers take primary
responsibility for representing the clients and do
all the work on the cases, including courtroom
appearances. Faculty supervisors work closely
with the student lawyers every step of the way to
ensure quality representation.
 Can the students actually give good
representation to clients?
 Definitely. Judges and lawyers who see clinic
students regularly comment that clinic clients are
getting representation as good as or better than
many "real" lawyers because of the time that the
student lawyers and their faculty supervisors put
into careful preparation.
 How do students get into the clinic?
 Students in their second or third year of law
school register for a seven-credit course
and the law school's computerized
registration system either admits them or
puts them on a waitlist.
 Does the clinic win most of the cases?
 No lawyer wins every case. Most cases
actually get settled without going to trial.
The clinic's pattern of winning, losing, or
settling is roughly the same as that of
private lawyers handling similar cases.
 Will the clinic keep clients' information
confidential?
 Of course. In fact, the student lawyers in the clinic
are subject to the same ethical rules as all lawyers
and the clinic has careful procedures to protect
client information. Not even the dean of the Law
School or the president of the University has
access to information about clinic clients.
 How many cases do the clinic students work on?
 Usually, about five or six, but that can vary a lot
depending on how complicated the cases are. The
faculty supervisors monitor the workload
constantly to make sure that student lawyers do
not get overloaded.
How much does the clinic charge?
No client is required to pay any fee to
the clinic for the legal work. Sometimes
cases have some costs, like court filing
fees, which clients are asked to pay if
they are able. In a small number of
cases, where the client receives an
award of money, the client may be
asked to pay a small percentage of the
money to the clinic as a fee, which
goes into the Law School's general
fund. Neither the student lawyers nor
the faculty supervisors take any
compensation from clients, except a
"thank you."
law clinics

Más contenido relacionado

Was ist angesagt?

Relationship between bar and bench
Relationship between bar and benchRelationship between bar and bench
Relationship between bar and benchKaran Valecha
 
The Lawyer's Disciplinary committee jurisdiction and procedure, Kenya
The Lawyer's Disciplinary committee jurisdiction and procedure, KenyaThe Lawyer's Disciplinary committee jurisdiction and procedure, Kenya
The Lawyer's Disciplinary committee jurisdiction and procedure, KenyaIvy Maria
 
Clinical Legal Education: Teaching Negotiation Skills
Clinical Legal Education: Teaching Negotiation SkillsClinical Legal Education: Teaching Negotiation Skills
Clinical Legal Education: Teaching Negotiation Skillsjaspervikasgeorge
 
Lay people and magistrates full powerpoint
Lay people and magistrates   full powerpointLay people and magistrates   full powerpoint
Lay people and magistrates full powerpointaquinaslaw
 
Comparative Law
Comparative LawComparative Law
Comparative LawKimmie
 
Principles Of Natural Justice In The Light Of Administrative Law
Principles Of Natural Justice In The Light Of Administrative LawPrinciples Of Natural Justice In The Light Of Administrative Law
Principles Of Natural Justice In The Light Of Administrative LawShifatAlam2
 
Precedent as a source of law
Precedent as a source of lawPrecedent as a source of law
Precedent as a source of lawShobhit Shukla
 
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND DESCRETIONARY POWER IN ADMINISTRATIVE DESCIONMA...
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND DESCRETIONARY POWER IN ADMINISTRATIVE DESCIONMA...ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND DESCRETIONARY POWER IN ADMINISTRATIVE DESCIONMA...
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND DESCRETIONARY POWER IN ADMINISTRATIVE DESCIONMA...Mayur Panchal
 
What is lok adalat
What is  lok adalatWhat is  lok adalat
What is lok adalatKiran Varma
 
Jurisprudence - Dworkin Theory of Adjudication
Jurisprudence - Dworkin Theory of AdjudicationJurisprudence - Dworkin Theory of Adjudication
Jurisprudence - Dworkin Theory of Adjudicationsurrenderyourthrone
 
Acto juridico concepto- requsitos, clases
Acto juridico  concepto- requsitos, clasesActo juridico  concepto- requsitos, clases
Acto juridico concepto- requsitos, clasesyaninainonan
 
Schools of muslim law
Schools of muslim lawSchools of muslim law
Schools of muslim lawRashmi Dubey
 
M15 Internacionalización del Derecho en su ámbito privado por Nadia Velasquez
M15 Internacionalización del Derecho en su ámbito privado por Nadia VelasquezM15 Internacionalización del Derecho en su ámbito privado por Nadia Velasquez
M15 Internacionalización del Derecho en su ámbito privado por Nadia VelasquezIvonneVelsquez2
 
PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW I
PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW IPUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW I
PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW IAmalia Sulaiman
 

Was ist angesagt? (20)

Legal Ethics 2nd lecture
Legal Ethics 2nd lectureLegal Ethics 2nd lecture
Legal Ethics 2nd lecture
 
Relationship between bar and bench
Relationship between bar and benchRelationship between bar and bench
Relationship between bar and bench
 
The Lawyer's Disciplinary committee jurisdiction and procedure, Kenya
The Lawyer's Disciplinary committee jurisdiction and procedure, KenyaThe Lawyer's Disciplinary committee jurisdiction and procedure, Kenya
The Lawyer's Disciplinary committee jurisdiction and procedure, Kenya
 
Clinical Legal Education: Teaching Negotiation Skills
Clinical Legal Education: Teaching Negotiation SkillsClinical Legal Education: Teaching Negotiation Skills
Clinical Legal Education: Teaching Negotiation Skills
 
Lay people and magistrates full powerpoint
Lay people and magistrates   full powerpointLay people and magistrates   full powerpoint
Lay people and magistrates full powerpoint
 
Mapa conceptual y mental
Mapa conceptual y mentalMapa conceptual y mental
Mapa conceptual y mental
 
Comparative Law
Comparative LawComparative Law
Comparative Law
 
Principles Of Natural Justice In The Light Of Administrative Law
Principles Of Natural Justice In The Light Of Administrative LawPrinciples Of Natural Justice In The Light Of Administrative Law
Principles Of Natural Justice In The Light Of Administrative Law
 
Precedent as a source of law
Precedent as a source of lawPrecedent as a source of law
Precedent as a source of law
 
What is mooting
What is mootingWhat is mooting
What is mooting
 
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND DESCRETIONARY POWER IN ADMINISTRATIVE DESCIONMA...
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND DESCRETIONARY POWER IN ADMINISTRATIVE DESCIONMA...ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND DESCRETIONARY POWER IN ADMINISTRATIVE DESCIONMA...
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND DESCRETIONARY POWER IN ADMINISTRATIVE DESCIONMA...
 
Analysis and interpretaion of data
Analysis and interpretaion of dataAnalysis and interpretaion of data
Analysis and interpretaion of data
 
What is lok adalat
What is  lok adalatWhat is  lok adalat
What is lok adalat
 
Jurisprudence - Dworkin Theory of Adjudication
Jurisprudence - Dworkin Theory of AdjudicationJurisprudence - Dworkin Theory of Adjudication
Jurisprudence - Dworkin Theory of Adjudication
 
Acto juridico concepto- requsitos, clases
Acto juridico  concepto- requsitos, clasesActo juridico  concepto- requsitos, clases
Acto juridico concepto- requsitos, clases
 
Cedulario Derecho Civil I (Bienes)
Cedulario Derecho Civil I (Bienes)Cedulario Derecho Civil I (Bienes)
Cedulario Derecho Civil I (Bienes)
 
Schools of muslim law
Schools of muslim lawSchools of muslim law
Schools of muslim law
 
M15 Internacionalización del Derecho en su ámbito privado por Nadia Velasquez
M15 Internacionalización del Derecho en su ámbito privado por Nadia VelasquezM15 Internacionalización del Derecho en su ámbito privado por Nadia Velasquez
M15 Internacionalización del Derecho en su ámbito privado por Nadia Velasquez
 
Judicial precedent
Judicial precedentJudicial precedent
Judicial precedent
 
PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW I
PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW IPUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW I
PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW I
 

Andere mochten auch

Rostock V2 Mods
Rostock V2 ModsRostock V2 Mods
Rostock V2 ModsJon Chan
 
PERFORMANCE REVIEW_2016_JKI_20160920
PERFORMANCE REVIEW_2016_JKI_20160920PERFORMANCE REVIEW_2016_JKI_20160920
PERFORMANCE REVIEW_2016_JKI_20160920Jonathan King
 
Informe San Francisco
Informe San FranciscoInforme San Francisco
Informe San Franciscoshelodelgado
 
Negocios Internacionales - Mercados verdes
Negocios Internacionales - Mercados verdesNegocios Internacionales - Mercados verdes
Negocios Internacionales - Mercados verdesNenyid Arias
 
NASA_Medevac_ Report-2016_Maldonado
NASA_Medevac_ Report-2016_MaldonadoNASA_Medevac_ Report-2016_Maldonado
NASA_Medevac_ Report-2016_MaldonadoVictor Maldonado
 
Los siete saberes de edgar morin
Los siete saberes de edgar morinLos siete saberes de edgar morin
Los siete saberes de edgar morinBertha Lema
 
Pedagogia critica diapos.
Pedagogia critica diapos.Pedagogia critica diapos.
Pedagogia critica diapos.Daysi Valle
 

Andere mochten auch (10)

Conjunctuur en koperprijs
Conjunctuur en koperprijsConjunctuur en koperprijs
Conjunctuur en koperprijs
 
Rostock V2 Mods
Rostock V2 ModsRostock V2 Mods
Rostock V2 Mods
 
PERFORMANCE REVIEW_2016_JKI_20160920
PERFORMANCE REVIEW_2016_JKI_20160920PERFORMANCE REVIEW_2016_JKI_20160920
PERFORMANCE REVIEW_2016_JKI_20160920
 
Travel_rapport 3_economie
Travel_rapport 3_economieTravel_rapport 3_economie
Travel_rapport 3_economie
 
Proyectos
ProyectosProyectos
Proyectos
 
Informe San Francisco
Informe San FranciscoInforme San Francisco
Informe San Francisco
 
Negocios Internacionales - Mercados verdes
Negocios Internacionales - Mercados verdesNegocios Internacionales - Mercados verdes
Negocios Internacionales - Mercados verdes
 
NASA_Medevac_ Report-2016_Maldonado
NASA_Medevac_ Report-2016_MaldonadoNASA_Medevac_ Report-2016_Maldonado
NASA_Medevac_ Report-2016_Maldonado
 
Los siete saberes de edgar morin
Los siete saberes de edgar morinLos siete saberes de edgar morin
Los siete saberes de edgar morin
 
Pedagogia critica diapos.
Pedagogia critica diapos.Pedagogia critica diapos.
Pedagogia critica diapos.
 

Ähnlich wie law clinics

Personal Injury Solicitors Summary
Personal Injury Solicitors SummaryPersonal Injury Solicitors Summary
Personal Injury Solicitors SummaryAnnie Hanson
 
Argumentative Essay On Law School
Argumentative Essay On Law SchoolArgumentative Essay On Law School
Argumentative Essay On Law SchoolCasey Rodriguez
 
The Journey to Becoming a Lawyer: From Passion to Practice
The Journey to Becoming a Lawyer: From Passion to PracticeThe Journey to Becoming a Lawyer: From Passion to Practice
The Journey to Becoming a Lawyer: From Passion to Practicebiyanicolleges5631
 
The Legal Profession Of England And Wales
The Legal Profession Of England And WalesThe Legal Profession Of England And Wales
The Legal Profession Of England And WalesAriana Davis
 
Law colleges in california colleges of law
Law colleges in california   colleges of lawLaw colleges in california   colleges of law
Law colleges in california colleges of lawThe Colleges of Law
 
Top Law College in Uttar Pradesh | SRMS College of Law
Top Law College in Uttar Pradesh | SRMS College of LawTop Law College in Uttar Pradesh | SRMS College of Law
Top Law College in Uttar Pradesh | SRMS College of Lawsrmssocial
 
Affordable law school colleges of law
Affordable law school   colleges of lawAffordable law school   colleges of law
Affordable law school colleges of lawThe Colleges of Law
 
Social Policy And The Access Of The Judiciary System
Social Policy And The Access Of The Judiciary SystemSocial Policy And The Access Of The Judiciary System
Social Policy And The Access Of The Judiciary SystemKristen Lee
 
Advocacy And Boundaries Of Independent Advocacy
Advocacy And Boundaries Of Independent AdvocacyAdvocacy And Boundaries Of Independent Advocacy
Advocacy And Boundaries Of Independent AdvocacyShelly Martinez
 
1,2 braun, denholme cross disciplinary response - powerpoint
1,2 braun, denholme cross disciplinary response - powerpoint1,2 braun, denholme cross disciplinary response - powerpoint
1,2 braun, denholme cross disciplinary response - powerpointifa2012
 
Corporate Law Firms And Small Private Law Companies
Corporate Law Firms And Small Private Law CompaniesCorporate Law Firms And Small Private Law Companies
Corporate Law Firms And Small Private Law CompaniesKimberly Patterson
 
Alvin Pather-21 Reasons to Become a Lawyer-A Career with a Future.pdf
Alvin Pather-21 Reasons to Become a Lawyer-A Career with a Future.pdfAlvin Pather-21 Reasons to Become a Lawyer-A Career with a Future.pdf
Alvin Pather-21 Reasons to Become a Lawyer-A Career with a Future.pdfAlvinPather1
 
The Pros And Cons Of Private Prisons
The Pros And Cons Of Private PrisonsThe Pros And Cons Of Private Prisons
The Pros And Cons Of Private PrisonsAlyssa Jones
 
Ethical And Legal Case Study
Ethical And Legal Case StudyEthical And Legal Case Study
Ethical And Legal Case StudyChristina Ramirez
 

Ähnlich wie law clinics (20)

Personal Injury Solicitors Summary
Personal Injury Solicitors SummaryPersonal Injury Solicitors Summary
Personal Injury Solicitors Summary
 
Argumentative Essay On Law School
Argumentative Essay On Law SchoolArgumentative Essay On Law School
Argumentative Essay On Law School
 
legal-profession.ppt
legal-profession.pptlegal-profession.ppt
legal-profession.ppt
 
The Journey to Becoming a Lawyer: From Passion to Practice
The Journey to Becoming a Lawyer: From Passion to PracticeThe Journey to Becoming a Lawyer: From Passion to Practice
The Journey to Becoming a Lawyer: From Passion to Practice
 
The Legal Profession Of England And Wales
The Legal Profession Of England And WalesThe Legal Profession Of England And Wales
The Legal Profession Of England And Wales
 
Essay On Legal Framework
Essay On Legal FrameworkEssay On Legal Framework
Essay On Legal Framework
 
Law colleges in california colleges of law
Law colleges in california   colleges of lawLaw colleges in california   colleges of law
Law colleges in california colleges of law
 
Top Law College in Uttar Pradesh | SRMS College of Law
Top Law College in Uttar Pradesh | SRMS College of LawTop Law College in Uttar Pradesh | SRMS College of Law
Top Law College in Uttar Pradesh | SRMS College of Law
 
Affordable law school colleges of law
Affordable law school   colleges of lawAffordable law school   colleges of law
Affordable law school colleges of law
 
Social Policy And The Access Of The Judiciary System
Social Policy And The Access Of The Judiciary SystemSocial Policy And The Access Of The Judiciary System
Social Policy And The Access Of The Judiciary System
 
Advocacy And Boundaries Of Independent Advocacy
Advocacy And Boundaries Of Independent AdvocacyAdvocacy And Boundaries Of Independent Advocacy
Advocacy And Boundaries Of Independent Advocacy
 
1,2 braun, denholme cross disciplinary response - powerpoint
1,2 braun, denholme cross disciplinary response - powerpoint1,2 braun, denholme cross disciplinary response - powerpoint
1,2 braun, denholme cross disciplinary response - powerpoint
 
Corporate Law Firms And Small Private Law Companies
Corporate Law Firms And Small Private Law CompaniesCorporate Law Firms And Small Private Law Companies
Corporate Law Firms And Small Private Law Companies
 
Lawyer
LawyerLawyer
Lawyer
 
Barrister And Rape Cases
Barrister And Rape CasesBarrister And Rape Cases
Barrister And Rape Cases
 
Alvin Pather-21 Reasons to Become a Lawyer-A Career with a Future.pdf
Alvin Pather-21 Reasons to Become a Lawyer-A Career with a Future.pdfAlvin Pather-21 Reasons to Become a Lawyer-A Career with a Future.pdf
Alvin Pather-21 Reasons to Become a Lawyer-A Career with a Future.pdf
 
The Pros And Cons Of Private Prisons
The Pros And Cons Of Private PrisonsThe Pros And Cons Of Private Prisons
The Pros And Cons Of Private Prisons
 
Law Assignment Help.pdf
Law Assignment Help.pdfLaw Assignment Help.pdf
Law Assignment Help.pdf
 
Ethical And Legal Case Study
Ethical And Legal Case StudyEthical And Legal Case Study
Ethical And Legal Case Study
 
Paralegal
ParalegalParalegal
Paralegal
 

law clinics

  • 1. Establishment of Law Clinics By Muhammad Shahid Shafiq District & Sessions Judge
  • 2. Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan while addressing a stone-laying ceremony of phase-II of the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA), said that “judicial education and research in the field of administration of justice are matters of prime importance. The quality of administration of justice and the structure of judicial system stand firmly on the quality of education in professional training institutions.”
  • 3. Law & Justice view point The law students of today are the judges and lawyers of tomorrow. In fact, the performance of the justice sector is dependent on the quality of their professionalism, skills and knowledge. Thus there is a strong linkage between the quality of human resources available to judiciary and the functionality, integrity and legitimacy of the courts system.
  • 4. Law Clinics - An attempt to upgrade judicial system and facilitate law students in developing their professional skills and capabilities to handle court proceedings
  • 5. Definition and Concept The phrase legal clinic' (or law clinic) may refer to any private, nonprofit law practice serving the public interest. In the academic context, these law school clinics provide hands-on experience to law school students and services to various (typically indigent) clients. Academic Clinics are usually directed by clinical professors. Many legal clinics offer pro bono work in one or more particular areas, providing free legal services to clients.
  • 6. Definition and Concept Students typically provide assistance with research, drafting legal arguments, and meeting with clients. In many cases, one of the clinic's professors will show up for oral argument before the Court. However, many jurisdictions have "student practice" rules that allow law-clinic students to appear and argue in court. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_clinic
  • 7. Countries running the Clinics  USA  United Kingdom  Russia  Czech Republic  Poland  Belarus  France  Slovakia  Somaliland  Croatia  Germany  India  Serbia  Romania  Hungary  Moldova  Spain  Latvia  Israel  Canada
  • 8. Michigan Law School For 30 years, Michigan Law School has offered clinical programs designed to hone tangible legal skills. They allow students to provide direct representation to clients under the supervision of experienced, full- time faculty. Under the State of Michigan's court rules, students may begin practicing law as early as their 2L year and receive course credit for the experience.
  • 9. Indian initiative One of the avowed objectives of the National Law School of India University is to promote legal education and research. In pursuance of the same the Legal Services Clinic offers legal and paralegal services by the faculty and the students. It not only provides a centre for practical professional training for students of law, but more importantly, provides free legal services to the socially and the economically backward sections of the society who have difficulty accessing the judicial system..
  • 10. Skill-Building Opportunities With clinical faculty supervising, students may prepare for each aspect of their cases, from interviewing clients and witnesses to negotiating with opposing counsel, drafting pleadings and conducting trials. They may move beyond the theory of the classroom into the real-world practice of law.
  • 11. FAQs About the Clinic http://www.law.umi ch.edu/clinical/gen eralclinic/Pages/FA Qs.aspx
  • 12. FAQs About the Clinic Q What kind of legal work does the clinic do? A Clinic handles a lot of different kinds of court cases, but not everything. Our caseload usually includes landlord- tenant, consumer fraud, contract disputes, prisoners' civil rights, discrimination and sexual harassment, political asylum and refugee, mortgage foreclosure, criminal misdemeanor defense, mortgage, torts, habeas corpus, debt collection defense, social security, or other public benefits claims.
  • 13. Q Who are the lawyers in the clinic? A Law students, supervised by faculty members who are experienced practicing lawyers. Q Who are the clients that the clinic represents? A People who have a legal problem but cannot afford to hire a private lawyer.
  • 14. Who are the clients that the clinic represents? People who have a legal problem but cannot afford to hire a private lawyer. What courts do clinic students go to? Almost any of the state or federal courts or agencies in Michigan, at both the trial and appellate levels.
  • 15.  Do the law students go to court?  Yes, the student lawyers take primary responsibility for representing the clients and do all the work on the cases, including courtroom appearances. Faculty supervisors work closely with the student lawyers every step of the way to ensure quality representation.  Can the students actually give good representation to clients?  Definitely. Judges and lawyers who see clinic students regularly comment that clinic clients are getting representation as good as or better than many "real" lawyers because of the time that the student lawyers and their faculty supervisors put into careful preparation.
  • 16.  How do students get into the clinic?  Students in their second or third year of law school register for a seven-credit course and the law school's computerized registration system either admits them or puts them on a waitlist.  Does the clinic win most of the cases?  No lawyer wins every case. Most cases actually get settled without going to trial. The clinic's pattern of winning, losing, or settling is roughly the same as that of private lawyers handling similar cases.
  • 17.  Will the clinic keep clients' information confidential?  Of course. In fact, the student lawyers in the clinic are subject to the same ethical rules as all lawyers and the clinic has careful procedures to protect client information. Not even the dean of the Law School or the president of the University has access to information about clinic clients.  How many cases do the clinic students work on?  Usually, about five or six, but that can vary a lot depending on how complicated the cases are. The faculty supervisors monitor the workload constantly to make sure that student lawyers do not get overloaded.
  • 18. How much does the clinic charge? No client is required to pay any fee to the clinic for the legal work. Sometimes cases have some costs, like court filing fees, which clients are asked to pay if they are able. In a small number of cases, where the client receives an award of money, the client may be asked to pay a small percentage of the money to the clinic as a fee, which goes into the Law School's general fund. Neither the student lawyers nor the faculty supervisors take any compensation from clients, except a "thank you."