Criminal Defense Clinic

In the semester-long Criminal Defense Clinic students represent clients in three misdemeanor cases under the supervision of experienced criminal defense lawyers and study the processes, strategies, responsibilities and challenges of providing indigent clients with excellent representation at the trial level. Classroom lectures and discussions, readings, guest speakers, and other materials supplement and support the primary learning experience, that is, the representation of indigent defendants in criminal cases pending in the local courts. In addition to providing excellent representation of our clients, we will also examine the relationship between race, poverty and the criminal justice system as they arise in and affect our cases. Each student has the opportunity to perform all the duties of representing clients, including interviewing, investigation, research, dealing with prosecutors, negotiating, assisting clients in deciding how plead, trial preparation and courtroom advocacy. Supervising attorneys, each working with no more than four students, mentor your case preparation, and all aspects of your client representation in weekly conferences. The full clinic meets regularly in seminar sessions, where substantive areas of criminal defense practice are covered, including client communication, evidentiary issues, criminal procedure, sentencing options and ethical responsibilities. During the second half of the semester, we will emphasize workshopping individual cases, preparing for trials, and negotiation.