The clinical law programs available at the University of La Verne College of Law and Public Service provide practical, experiential training to law students, equipping them with the confidence and skills they need to be practice-ready. Clinical legal education involves work on actual cases under the supervision of knowledgeable faculty and practicing lawyers. Students conduct research, write legal documents, and practice oral advocacy skills. Through clinical programs, students are also able to provide pro bono<\/i> legal services to the local community.<\/p>\n
The College of Law and Public Service\u2019s clinical legal education curriculum is comprised of three components: the Lawyering Skills Practicum course, a highly successful Externship Program, and various live-client clinical opportunities.<\/p>\n
The core of our clinical program is the Lawyering Skills Practicum, which is a simulated law practice that takes place under the guidance of senior partners. During the practicum, law students form partnerships, establish a local bar, and develop a moral and ethical compass that will govern their actions throughout their legal career.<\/p>\n
In the simulation, students:<\/p>\n
La Verne\u2019s robust externship program places upper-division law students with government agencies, public interest organizations, non-profit agencies, and judges. Externships foster law student engagement with the legal community while helping students reflect on the work they will do as lawyers\u2014and the role they will embody when they take their place among their legal peers.<\/p>\n
For more information on our clinical externships, please read our FAQs<\/a>. To apply for a clinical externship, submit an application to lawexternships@laverne.edu.<\/a><\/p>\n The College of Law and Public Service established live-client clinics to provide practical training experiences for law students. These clinical experiences do not simply give our students the opportunity to improve their skills\u2014they also give students a chance to demonstrate to the surrounding legal community the quality of their work. Furthermore, students develop an ethic of service that values the importance of enhancing their local community.<\/p>\n The Justice and Immigration Clinic (JIC) provides<\/span>\u00a0pro bono<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>legal representation to noncitizens. Law students represent clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) in their applications for asylum, U visa, DACA, and other humanitarian forms of relief.<\/span><\/p>\n Law students are assigned to teams that represent live clients under the supervision of Director Rodriguez-Campos. Students are responsible for client communication, including interviewing and counseling, case planning, and development of case strategy. They draft client declarations, gather evidence including witness statements and expert reports, conduct legal research, and write legal briefs.<\/span><\/p>\n Immigration Law is a prerequisite\/corequisite to enrolling in the JIC. Students must be in good academic standing and have completed their first year of study. Enrollment is subject to director approval.<\/span><\/p>\n Students may enroll in the JIC for 1-4 units per semester. Those who wish to complete their upper division writing requirement may do so by writing a case-related brief.\u00a0 Students must attend JIC classes Monday and Wednesday evenings, as well as weekly meetings with the JIC director.<\/span><\/p>\n For more information about the Justice and Immigration Clinic and how to enroll, please contact Director Krystal Rodriguez-Campos<\/a>.<\/p>\nLive-Client Clinics<\/h2>\n
Justice and Immigration Clinic<\/h3>\n