Housing Litigation Clinic (YR)

LAW8614
Section 1, Fall 24

Schedule Information

Enrollment: 8/8
Credits: 4
Days Time Room Start Date End Date

Tue

 		1130-1330 LAJC2 08/27/2024 12/03/2024

Course Description

Students will participate throughout the year in advising on, developing, and litigating actual housing cases in cooperation with the Legal Aid Justice Center. The caseload includes trials, administrative proceedings, and interaction with low-income clients. Students handle eviction and voucher termination cases, abatement of substandard building conditions, and other enforcement of residents' rights, although specific assignments vary according to the cases available during the year. The course also incorporates classroom instruction during the fall semester in the substantive and procedural aspects of landlord-tenant law and litigation skills. Under the supervision of an attorney, students perform most lawyer functions associated with their cases, including client and witness interviews, factual development, legal research, preparation of pleadings, and negotiation. Additionally, clinic students will use a range of strategies used by Legal Aid Justice Center attorneys to identify, investigate, and attack systemic injustices, encouraging holistic and community-partnered approaches to lawyering. Third-year students who have their Third Year Practice Certification are eligible to appear and argue in court. The necessary course work for the Certification can be completed in the 2L year or finished in the fall semester of 3L. Students who do not qualify for a Third Year Practice Certification, including 2Ls, may conduct negotiations, assist with factual and legal case development, sit second chair, and, in most years, argue an administrative hearing.

Course Requirements

Exam Information

Final Type (if any): None

Description: None

Written Work Product

Research memoranda, briefing and pleadings in administrative procedures, state, and/or federal court.

Other Work

Interviewing clients and witnesses, general investigation, reviewing case files, collecting records, searching court files, developing and implementing litigation strategies, etc.

Other Course Details

Prerequisites: Evidence, Professional Responsibility and Third Year Practice Certificate recommended, but not required; because the credits in this course count toward the JD Program Professional Skills requirement, JD candidates will be given enrollment priority for this class. Concurrencies: None

Exclusive With: None

Laptops Allowed: Yes

First Day Attendance Required: Yes

Course Resources: To be announced via Canvas.

Course Notes: NOTE REGARDING ENROLLMENT: the enrollment process is described at https://www.law.virginia.edu/clinics/faqs-about-clinics#howenroll. If seats are available in this clinic after the application/lottery process, students must seek special permission from the instructors for a seat. If a student seeking a seat in this class is enrolled in another clinic, enrollment authorization from the instructors from both clinics must be provided to the Student Records Office via email ([email protected]). IMPORTANT: All clinic participants must attend an “Orientation to Law Clinics at LAJC” session at the start of the semester. This session will provide clinic participants with necessary information about working with LAJC and its client community. The date/time for the session will be announced by the instructors, but in the past it has been held on the Monday before the start of upper-level classes. ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT: Enrolled students who do not attend the first class session and the mandatory orientation will be dropped unless granted prior approval by the instructors.

Graduation Requirements

Satisfies Understanding Bias/Racism/Cross-Cultural Competency requirement: Yes

Satisfies Writing Requirement: No

Credits For Prof. Skills Requirement: Yes

Satisfies Professional Ethics: No

Additional Course Information

Schedule No.: 124818032

Modified Type: Clinical (Excl.)

Cross Listed: No

Waitlist Count: 0

Concentrations: Environmental and Land Use Law , Litigation and Procedure , Public Service and Leadership

Evaluation Portal Via LawWeb Opens: Sunday, December 01, 12:01 AM

Evaluation Portal Via LawWeb Closes: Friday, December 06, 11:59 PM

Information reflected on this page was last refreshed at: Friday, January 17, 2025 - 7:04 AM *

*During open enrollment periods, live enrollment data may be found in SIS.