Practical Training—Gaining Knowledge, Discerning Truth, Attaining Wisdom

UWLA believes that a quality legal education is comprised of multiple components including in-class learning, involvement in student organizations, the advice of a mentor, extensive research, development of briefs, papers, and presentations, and adequate practice applying in-class learning to real-world clinical and courtroom situations.

The School of Law encourages all students to enhance their legal education by engaging in non-classroom work that will provide them with practical training and legal experience and/or give them an opportunity to engage in scholarly work. Practical training is considered non-classroom work and credit is limited to a maximum of eight units. Clinical Placement, The Legal Aid Clinic, Independent Study, Moot Court, and the Dependency Adoptions Internship are practical training options that may be taken for practical training credit.

Clinical Placement

Students interested in gaining real-world legal experience working side by side with law professionals in local public agencies including the District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, various city agencies and legal aid clinics, and local judges in both the trial and appellate courts should enroll for credit in the Clinical Placement program. Working under the supervision of an attorney, students earning clinical placement credit will learn how to interact with clients and solve practical legal problems. Interested students must meet with the Director prior to registration to discuss individual interests and suitable placements.

The Legal Aid Clinic

UWLA offers a free Legal Aid Clinic to the public at its West Los Angeles campus one evening a week. Students who have completed two years of law study (42 units) are eligible to enroll in Legal Aid as a course for credit. Enrolled students work under the supervision of an attorney in case analysis, preparation of pleadings, research, and other practical aspects of actual cases.

Independent Study

Independent Study is an opportunity for advanced students to pursue new and different areas of the law not covered in the standard curriculum. The student must petition the Academic Council for permission, submitting a detailed written proposal jointly prepared by the student and the professor supervising the project. Independent Study projects are awarded credit based on the amount of identifiable and pre-approved time spent in research and writing. Independent study units are graded on a pass/fail basis.

Moot Court

Moot Court gives advanced students the opportunity to participate in court competitions across the country under the direction of Professor David Glassman. Students receive practical hands-on experience by preparing trial and/or appellate briefs and writing and presenting oral arguments and receive practical training credit.

Dependency Adoptions Internship

Dependency Adoption is an on-campus internship in which students, functioning as law clerks under the supervision of the School of Law’s program director, actively participate in bringing the child adoption process to completion.

As part of the Public Counsel Law Center’s Children’s Rights Project, students acquire real-world, frontline litigation experience by assisting in such critical lawyering activities as:

• Reviewing and analyzing the case summary generated by Public Counsel
• Contacting and interviewing the prospective adopting parents
• Interacting with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services
• Drafting and filing with the Superior Court the “Petition for Adoption” and “Accounting Report”
• Preparing for and attending the Adoption Finalization Hearing