Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic

This is a year-long clinic. Students are enrolled for four credits in the first semester and three credits in the second semester. Students may choose to enroll for additional semesters with permission of the instructor. Students meet twice weekly for scheduled seminars in addition to weekly team supervisions with the clinical professor to discuss their case work. Students also engage in intensive fieldwork outside of class time. A large portion of this time includes visiting incarcerated clients at prisons in Western and Upstate New York.  Clinic work also involves interviews with clients, clients’ family members, witnesses, attorneys, and community organizations; researching legal issues that arise in the client’s case; drafting correspondence; conducting investigations and discovery; reviewing case records; writing legal briefs or other advocacy documents; and—depending on the stage of the case—arguing your client’s case in court.

Students will work in teams of two or more, and some projects may allow for collaboration with students from other law schools’ clinics. Student attorneys are expected to take the lead on their cases, under the supervision of the clinical professor. Student attorneys will learn to build client relationships; interview witnesses; conduct investigation; develop mitigation evidence; work with experts; and engage in oral and written advocacy before the courts, parole boards, and legislature.