State and Local Government Policy Clinic

Specifically, students provide nonpartisan policy/legal research assistance to members of the Virginia General Assembly, officials in state executive branch agencies, and/or local government officials, as they develop and/or work to implement legislative or policy proposals, and, when appropriate, assist their government clients in advocating for the proposals or legislative ideas they develop.

The Clinic is open — and all Clinic activities are available — to both 2L and 3L students.

Students will work in teams. While each team will have more than one project and projects will vary depending on assignments, all Clinic students will have the opportunity to work with individual legislators in the Virginia General Assembly to help develop legislation and secure passage of their proposed bills. The clinic works with legislators, and other government officials, from both political parties.

The Clinic does not have paper or exam requirements. Students are expected to handle their clinic projects responsibly and diligently, and engage in all activities necessary to fulfill their responsibilities to their client partners.  These include conducting client meetings, engaging in legal and policy research, writing decision briefs, meeting with stakeholders and experts to inform various policy proposals, negotiating final policy or legislative approaches, drafting legislation, crafting communication materials regarding legislative or policy proposals, participating in direct legislative advocacy during the General Assembly session which may involve crafting summary materials of their proposals, meeting with individual legislators to advocate for their proposals, and/or offering testimony to legislative or other policy bodies.

To date, students have worked in a range of policy areas including, but not limited to, education, public health, human trafficking, behavioral health, criminal justice, juvenile justice, property tax exemptions, foster care, economic development, victims’ rights, state-tribal relations, and firearm safety.

While each year’s topics will vary depending on client interest and needs, public education will remain a priority area.  Student policy preference will be considered when assigning Clinic projects.

While the workload will vary by week, students should expect to work between 10-15 hours per week. In the fall, that work will include class preparation and class time. 

Some of the best and most important work on Clinic bills – negotiations, redrafting, direct lobbying – will take place over winter break.  Accordingly, students in this Clinic should expect to work over break, including coming back to school early for the beginning of the General Assembly Session which starts on January 14, 2026.  We will make up this time to you at the end of the spring semester.

To be considered for this Clinic, students must both rank the Clinic in the clinic lottery and submit application materials within the timeline set by the Student Records Office. Students selected for the Clinic through the clinic application/lottery process will be automatically enrolled prior to the regular course lottery.