Clinic co-director Josh Wheeler and clinic participant Tiffany Rainbolt discuss the First Amendment Clinic at the University of Virginia School of Law.
Adjunct Professors Bruce Brown and J. joshua Wheeler; 6 Credits; yearlong
In this clinic, run in conjunction with Charlottesville's Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression and the law firm Baker Hostetler, law students gain practical legal experience involving timely free speech and press issues.
Supervised by the legal staff of the Thomas Jefferson Center and attorneys from Baker Hostetler, students work as a team in conducting legal research, meeting with clients and co-counsel, and drafting legal memoranda and briefs. Assignments typically involve appellate-level litigation, although there are occasional trial-level opportunities. Students also work on a variety of non-litigation projects. Such projects have involved reviewing proposed municipal ordinances for potential First Amendment flaws, and the drafting for the American Bar Association of a handbook detailing media rights of access to the courtroom.
