Legal Clinic
The clinic is unique in that it operates like a single firm with six distinct practice groups: federal criminal defense, immigration, employment, law and policy in action, trust and estates, and the community empowerment law project, which focuses on organizational representation. The clinic emphasizes skills that cut across practice areas, from client interviewing and case theory development to resilience and cultural competence.
Students earn credit for their work. Students take on the role of attorney, not intern. They have primary responsibility for the representation of their clients at all stages of the legal process and learn to use and trust their legal judgment. Students learn different areas of the law, work with multiple supervisors, and represent diverse clients, better preparing them for practice.
Recent student experiences in the clinic include drafting the first land bank statute for the State of Iowa, defending indigent individuals charged in federal court with serious felony offenses, arguing an employment law case before the Iowa Court of Appeals, and petitioning the Iowa Department of Education to revise its school seclusion rules.
In the clinic
Law students tackle a complex issue, gain appreciation for Iowa community
Iowa Law Legal Clinic: Case Files
Field Placement Program
Equally important to students’ success as professionals is what they learn through practical legal experiences. Externships, a staple of the law school experience, offer students the opportunity to explore legal career options, obtain practical legal skills, and begin developing a network. The Career Services Office works closely with students to secure externships that will help launch their careers and meet their long-term career goals. Students typically intern in a variety of locations and settings throughout the country and even around the world.
Externships are the best preparation for your career, and a great way to make professional contacts. In fact, many students’ first job after graduating is one that began as an externship through the Field Placement Program.
In the field
Law in Practice: Students pursue externships to hone appellate advocacy and legal writing skills
