Kara Sears
A law clinic, also known as a legal clinic or law school clinic, is a program that provides legal services to clients while offering hands-on legal experience to law students. Law clinics originated as a practical teaching method for law students, but they have evolved to include free legal aid without academic affiliation. Law students participating in law clinics gain valuable experience by working directly with clients, developing essential lawyering skills, and addressing a range of legal issues. These clinics are typically supervised by clinical professors and often involve pro bono work, providing free legal services to those in need. Law clinics cover diverse areas of law, including criminal justice, human rights, immigration, environmental law, and more, empowering students to make a positive impact in their communities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | CANLAW Clinic |
| Type | Legal clinic |
| Clients | Cancer patients and survivors |
| Services | Pro bono estate planning services |
| Documents | Will, Statutory Durable Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney, HIPAA Release, and a Physicians & Family Directive |
| Year | 2025 |
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What You'll Learn
Cancer law
CANLAW Clinic is a legal clinic that provides pro bono estate planning services to cancer patients and survivors. Volunteers work with clients to prepare essential documents, including wills, medical powers of attorney, and HIPAA releases. These services aim to ease the burden on cancer patients by helping them navigate legal complexities during their treatment.
Legal clinics, often associated with law schools, offer hands-on legal experience to law students. They provide free legal services to clients, contributing to access to justice. Law students, under the supervision of clinical professors, gain practical skills by working directly with clients, drafting legal arguments, and conducting research. Clinics cover various areas of law, including health law, environmental law, human rights, and criminal law.
For instance, Columbia Law School's clinics offer students intensive learning experiences in multiple practice areas. Students work with individuals, communities, and organizations, gaining essential lawyering skills such as legal analysis and oral advocacy. UCLA Law's clinics focus on teaching students to become skilled and zealous lawyers and advocates. They collaborate with community organizations and entrepreneurs while addressing issues like environmental justice and human rights.
Yale Law School's Police, Law, and Policy Clinic stands out for its focus on policing reform. Students assist prosecutors while engaging in litigation and advocacy, navigating complex constitutional law questions. The Civil Rights Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School promotes structural change and criminal justice reform, empowering low-income communities to enforce their rights.
Additionally, the Health Law Clinic at Case Western Reserve University takes on an interdisciplinary approach, collaborating with healthcare professionals to address social determinants of health and their legal implications. Their clinics also cover a range of legal areas, including intellectual property and criminal justice. These law clinics play a vital role in providing legal aid and offering valuable educational opportunities for aspiring legal professionals.
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Human rights law
One example of a human rights law clinic is the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School, which drives tangible change in human rights through litigation, research, and advocacy. Students are involved in all aspects of their projects, from interviewing witnesses and experts to presenting findings before courts and international bodies. Another example is the International Human Rights Clinic at Cornell Law School, where students have contributed to the release of over 140 former death row prisoners through investigation and litigation. They have also worked on projects advocating for prisoners' rights in Malawi and Tanzania and documenting human rights violations in the Occupied Golan.
The University of Southern California's Gould School of Law also offers an International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC), where students engage with human rights issues such as refugee rights, anti-human trafficking, and accountability for mass atrocities. The IHRC at USC has achieved a 100% success rate in representing human trafficking victims since its launch in 2011. Duke University's International Human Rights Clinic enables students to critically engage with human rights issues and develop practical tools for advocacy through weekly seminars, fieldwork, and travel.
Additionally, the University of Miami's Human Rights Clinic focuses on promoting social and economic justice globally and in the United States. Students gain firsthand experience in human rights litigation and advocacy at various levels, engaging with organisations such as the United Nations and the European Court of Human Rights. The International Human Rights Clinic at the University of California, Irvine, involves students in domestic and international litigation to enforce international human rights norms and address violations committed by US actors.
Overall, human rights law clinics provide a unique opportunity for law students to gain practical experience in human rights advocacy and litigation while contributing to positive change and social justice worldwide.
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Environmental law
At Stanford Law School, the Environmental Law Clinic focuses on various litigation and policy matters. Students have the chance to work on cases involving marine and coastal resource protection, public land management, water quality, and endangered species protection. They collaborate with tribes and environmental justice advocates to address issues such as water rights and single-use plastic pollution.
The NYU School of Law's Environmental Law Clinic emphasizes environmental litigation and advocacy. Students work under the supervision of attorneys at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), dedicating approximately 12 to 15 hours per week to the clinic. They participate in discussions, moot courts, and gain practical experience in environmental law practice.
The Environmental Advocacy Clinic at Vermont Law and Graduate School operates as a public interest law office. Students learn how to become competent attorneys by representing clients, developing arguments, exploring strategies, and communicating with various stakeholders. The clinic ensures that laws protecting health, wildlife, and the environment are effectively enforced.
UCI Law's Environmental Law Clinic (ELC) provides students with the opportunity to work on critical matters related to environmental protection and community health. They represent local, regional, and national non-profit organizations, advocate in courts, and counsel clients on legislative and strategic matters. Students also collaborate with UCI's Center for Land, Environment, and Natural Resources (CLEANR) and engage in sustainability initiatives.
The Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School tackles pressing environmental issues. Students challenge illegal polluters, advocate for regulatory changes, hold agencies accountable, and promote renewable energy in underserved communities. They gain experience in environmental law procedures, advocacy skills, and addressing ethical dilemmas.
Overall, environmental law clinics offer a unique educational experience, allowing students to apply their legal knowledge to real-world environmental challenges while contributing to the protection of the environment and the well-being of communities.
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Criminal law
Law clinics are legal aid or law school programs that provide services to clients and hands-on legal experience to law students. They are usually directed by clinical professors and conduct pro bono work. Law clinics originated as a method of practical teaching for law students, but today they also encompass free legal aid with no academic links.
At Yale Law School, the Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic (CJAC) represents individuals and organisations affected by the criminal legal system. The New Haven Legal Assistance Re-Entry Clinic provides civil legal representation to people with criminal convictions to help them navigate barriers to successful re-entry into society.
The law clinic at Case Western Reserve University handles a range of criminal law matters, including misdemeanour and felony cases in adult and juvenile courts, emergency commitments and competency hearings, and applications for relief from deportation. Their Appellate Litigation Clinic allows students to work on appeals related to criminal convictions, such as withdrawing guilty pleas or addressing errors at trial.
Law clinics at UCLA Law expose students to a range of legal areas, including criminal justice. While the focus is not solely on criminal law, students work on real cases before the United States Supreme Court and draft certiorari petitions, amicus briefs, and merits briefs, which often involve criminal procedure issues.
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Civil law
Law clinics are a great way for students to gain hands-on experience in civil law while providing legal services to those who need them. Many law clinics have a mission to serve clients who would otherwise be unable to access legal services.
For example, at UCLA Law, students in the California Environmental Legislation & Policy Clinic work directly with legislative staffers, advocates, and stakeholders to address cutting-edge environmental issues. Students in the Pediatric Advocacy Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School collaborate with healthcare providers and represent low-income families on legal issues connected to child health and well-being.
Students in the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan Law School have the opportunity to work on important civil rights cases in a clinical setting. They learn litigation skills by taking on "first-chair" responsibility in civil cases under the guidance of clinical faculty. Similarly, at Columbia Law School, students work on behalf of real clients, gaining intensive feedback and lawyering experience before graduation. Columbia's clinics cover a range of legal subjects, including civil procedure, housing, and economic justice.
At Case Western Reserve University, the Health Law Clinic addresses the civil legal needs that can profoundly affect health. Students appear in administrative and civil court proceedings, representing children and adults in cases involving social security, wills, and more. The law clinic also handles issues at the intersection of civil and criminal law, such as felony and misdemeanor record expungement, child support, and restoration of rights.
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Frequently asked questions
The CANLAW Clinic is a pro bono estate planning service for cancer patients and survivors. Volunteers work with clients to prepare important documents, such as a will, power of attorney, and other legal documents.
Law clinics are often run by law schools, allowing students to gain hands-on legal experience. Law clinics are usually directed by clinical professors who provide supervision and feedback.
Law clinics cover a range of legal areas, including criminal defence, human rights, immigration, environmental law, and civil rights. They often take on cases involving individuals or communities who cannot afford legal services.
Law clinics provide students with practical experience in lawyering skills, such as legal analysis, writing, oral advocacy, and collaboration. They allow students to integrate legal theory with real-world practice, serving clients and making a positive impact.
