Field Placement Clinical Program

Students may obtain academic credit while observing, learning and practicing lawyering skills by participating in field placement clinics outside the law school during the regular academic term or the summer. Students are placed in a variety of local, state, and federal offices and judicial chambers, where they work with lawyers and clients and make legal decisions with supervision by experienced attorneys. Oversight of the program is provided by a full-time faculty member, and the classroom component is taught by full-time faculty members.

Field placements provide students the opportunity

to address many of the same legal problems and fact situations that confront practicing attorneys;
to handle these situations while acting in the role of a lawyer, with close supervision;
to work with other professionals and clients in mastering and solving the issues;
to take appropriate action;
and then to analyze their performance and plan for future professional work.

The fundamental goals of the field placement clinical program include:

training in lawyering skills;
training in research, writing and analytical skills;
substantive legal education;
learning how to learn from experience;
insight into the legal system; and recognition of professional responsibility;
integrate experiential learning and classroom learning

Available field placements cover a wide range of public interest legal practice, including civil and criminal litigation, legislation, judicial clerkships, and administrative and regulatory practice. Substantive legal areas include criminal law, health care law, environmental law, labor law, communications law, tax law, education law, family law, and general civil practice.

Washington, D.C. Semester Program

Participating offices, application process, and requirements