The Clinic Philosophy:
To paraphrase Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, the life of the law is experience. While still a student, you can experience the real practice of law in a variety of supervised settings by working with courts, attorneys and clients in actual cases. This is why clinics are sometimes referred to as the "classroom in the courtroom."
Clinic students have presented oral arguments on many occasions before the Ninth District Court of Appeals; represented clients in Federal District Court on Prisoner Civil Rights Cases; written briefs that are argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; and have helped small business clients with a variety of business law issues including contract negotiation, business planning and choice of entity.
Students who have graduated from the clinic have assumed various positions in, and as:
Even if a case does not go to trial, students gain valuable experience with pre-trial litigation skills, skills that are becoming all the more important in this age of crowded court dockets.
Appellate Review:
- Represent clients on appeals in state and federal cases in criminal and civil rights cases
- Take primary responsibility for preparing briefs
- Appear in court to represent clients in some cases
Over the past decade, attorneys from the School of Law's Appellate Review Office have argued more than 10 cases, civil and criminal, before the Supreme Court of Ohio. Over the life of the clinic, the clinic has represented over 40 clients before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. And third-year law students have presented more than a dozen oral arguments in the Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals and appeared on behalf of clients in federal district court.
Prisoner Legal Assistance Clinic:
- Under the direction of staff attorneys, provide general legal information on criminal and civil problems
Criminal External Placement Clinic:
Students can obtain a limited license (legal intern certificate) to practice law after completing two-thirds of their credit hours. These students may be placed for credit in local prosecutors' and public defender offices. There students represent the government or indigent clients in misdemeanor cases.
Judicial Placement Clinic:
- Work for credit with judges at any of our area federal or state courts
- Research for judges and assist with work of the court
Public External Placement Clinic:
- Work for credit in the offices of local prosecutors, public defenders, nonprofit or civil legal aid organizations
- Work under the supervision of an attorney
- Appear in court on behalf of clients or to prosecute criminal defendants (available to third-year students)
The New Business Legal Clinic (NBLC):
- Under the supervision of a licensed attorney, students provide clients with legal and business advice, including business planning, employment, contract/lease, tax and entity formation information (open to second- and third-year students)
