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.

Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the Clinical Placement program students must have competed 21 units of study. Interested students must meet with the Director prior to registration to discuss individual interests and suitable placements. Placement in private law firms is unacceptable for credit under this program.

Credit

• Students may enroll for one to three units of Clinical Placement credit in any given semester, and may earn no more than three out of the allowed eight Practical Training credits through the Clinical Placement Program
• For each credit, students must complete fifty hours of clinical work during the 15-week semester for which they enrolled for Clinical Placement
• Attendance at the scheduled lecture sessions of the classroom component of the program is mandatory to earn credit
• Students will earn a Pass/Fail grade based on participation in their clinical assignment and in the clinical studies course
• Students who take a position and later withdraw may receive a failing grade at the discretion of the attorney sponsor and Clinical Placement Director

Student Responsibilities

Students who enroll in the Clinical Placement program are involved in the representation of real clients. Therefore, participants must fully understand the responsibility and take the commitment very seriously.

It is also the student’s responsibility to pay the certification filing fee required for certification pursuant to the Practical Training of Law Students. Forms and procedures regarding how to become a certified law student are available in the School of Law office.

For more information on the Clinical Placement program or the Practical Training of Law Students, contact:

Robert Barett
Director of the Clinical Placement Program
Phone: (818) 775-4500
Email: robertbarett@charter.net