Legal clinic explained

A legal clinic (also law clinic or law-school clinic) is a legal aid or law-school program providing services to various clients and often hands-on legal experience to law students. Clinics are usually directed by clinical professors.[1] Legal clinics typically conduct pro bono work, providing free legal services to clients.

Legal clinics originated as a method of practical teaching of law students, but today they also encompass free legal aid with no academic links.[2] Some practice-based law clinics with no academic link provide hands-on skills to lawyers, judges, and non-lawyers on practical dimensions of the law while offering legal services to clients.[3]

Goals, objectives and methods

In a law-school clinic, students typically provide assistance with research, drafting legal arguments, and meeting with clients. In many cases, professors will appear for oral argument before courts. However, many jurisdictions have "student practice" rules that permit law-clinic students to appear and argue in court.[4] [5]

Need and importance

Some scholars in some jurisdictions have questioned the quality of that legal representation in cases where parties cannot afford a lawyer and are provided legal services by the state. Law-school clinics provide other options to such clients.[6]

Areas of service

Clinical legal studies operate in many areas, including immigration law, environmental law, intellectual property, housing, criminal defense, criminal prosecution, American Indian law, human rights, and international criminal law.[7] Clinics sometimes sue companies and government entities, which has led to pushback in courts and legislatures, including attempts to put limits on whom clinics can sue without losing state subsidies.[8]

Obstacles

While many jurisdictions have "student practice" rules that allow law-clinic students to appear and argue in court,[4] in some countries like India law students cannot represent clients in court.

According to some scholars, clinical legal education fails to meet its goals because it lacks resources. Other scholars have highlighted the educational capabilities of even low-cost legal clinics.[9]

Notable legal clinics

United States

See also

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Black's Law Dictionary, 6th Edition, "clinical legal studies," (St. Paul, Minn: West Publishing Co., 1990), 254
  2. M. Yakasai, "Meaning of a Legal Clinic',2016
  3. Web site: International Organizations. lextern. en. 2019-10-18.
  4. Web site: RuleXX.asp. www.lasc.org. 2019-10-18.
  5. Uniform Local Rules Of The United States District Courts For The Eastern, Middle, And Western Districts Of Louisiana, LR83.2.13, Web site: Local civil rule 83 - Rules by district courts; judges' directives . 2008-10-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080703173017/http://www.laed.uscourts.gov/LocalRules/Civil_83.htm . 2008-07-03 .
  6. Web site: Bansal. Avani. Clinical legal education as a means to means to advance to advance access to justice in India. livelaw.in. livelaw.in. 26 July 2017.
  7. http://www.uu.nl/legalclinic "404 - Universiteit Utrecht", University Utrecht School of Law Clinical Programme on Conflict, Human Rights and International Justice
  8. News: School Law Clinics Face a Backlash. Urbina. Ian. April 3, 2010. The New York Times. 4 April 2010.
  9. Meghdadi . Mohammad Mahdi . Nasab . Ahmad Erfani . 2011-01-01 . The role of legal clinics of law schools in human rights education; Mofid University legal clinic experience . Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences . 3rd World Conference on Educational Sciences - 2011 . 15 . 3014–3017 . 10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.04.234 . 1877-0428. free .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Legal clinic".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.