Eligibility
Upon completion of the equivalent of three semesters of law school (a minimum of 39 credit hours), students are able to enroll in Clinic programs. Students are eligible if they have completed a full summer semester (for a total of at least nine credit hours) and two regular fall or spring semesters. All students must be in good standing and have a GPA of 2.1 or higher.
Enrollment Lottery
Because demand for clinic courses usually exceeds supply, selection for the clinic programs is done by means of a lottery. Preference in the selection process is given to persons who sign up for the maximum number of permissible credits.
There is a single lottery for the in-house clinic. After the lottery is complete, students may express particular interest in any area of practice.
Student legal interns may stay on in the in-house clinic as a veteran without re-entering the lottery, with the permission of their supervisors.
Registration
Clinic Hours Requirements
During the fall and spring semesters, a student enrolled in the clinic must be present in the clinic 3-4 hours per credit hour per week. For example, a student taking 9 credits must commit to at least 27-36 hours per week. During the summer semester a student must commit to 50 hours per credit hour. For 9 hours this means working full time.
Clinic Classroom Component
A required element of every student's first semester in any clinic program (in-house and externship) is the classroom component.
Course Work Outside the Clinic
During the fall and spring semesters you may take up to 15 semester hours of credit, including clinic. Students enrolled in the clinic for 9 hours cannot take more than a total of 15 semester hours of credit, except with the permission of the clinic faculty. Since the summer is considered full time for nine semester hours of credit placements, no other classes are allowed. If you have a question about additional commitments, talk to the Clinic faculty.
Clinic Grades
All clinic programs are graded numerically.
Location
The "in-house" clinic is located on the third floor of the Boyd Law Building. The clinic suite is fully equipped with computers, printers, and copiers. When students are enrolled in the clinic, their assigned carrels are in the clinic suite.
Cases are supervised by full-time faculty members, and clinic interns have primary responsibility for the representation of their clients at all stages of the legal process, including interviewing and counseling, negotiation, fact investigation, depositions, drafting and briefing, and courtroom appearances. Most interns each semester have an opportunity to argue cases before various state and federal trial or appellate courts, or before administrative agencies.