About the LPC

How much time is expected?

Hour Requirements
2 Credits…….100 Hours
3 Credits…….145 Hours
4 Credits…….190 Hours
All activities that involve the clinic may be counted toward the hour requirement including class time.

How do clinics and externships courses differ from skills courses?

In clinics and externships, students represent actual clients or work on real problems under the supervision of professors or practicing judges and attorneys. Skills courses involve mock clients and simulated problems and may serve different educational goals because of how much control over content the teachers can exercise.

What educational opportunities do clinical courses provide that other courses do not?

Clinics allow you to explore thinking, acting, feeling, and being like a lawyer. Your firsthand experiences advance your perception and understanding of the law, legal processes, and a lawyer’s role with clients and in the service of justice. Supervising attorneys seek to provide a model of excellent lawyering – they guide, challenge, evaluate, and help the student reflect on the student’s work.

What are the scheduling considerations in taking a clinic?

Responsibilities such as court appearances and interviews will unavoidably be scheduled during working hours. Also, externally imposed deadlines may not be flexible. Clinic work and the student’s client need to take top priority at times to meet those deadlines. That said, many if not most of the clinic students work and find their employers are flexible with respect to meeting their responsibilities to clinic clients.

Do clinic courses have written final exams?

No.

Does clinical casework or externship fieldwork extend beyond the semester?

Sometimes. Most of the clinics and externships attempt to structure work so that it may be completed within the semester. However, there may be situations in which a student will be expected to finish a case or matter after the semester ends.

How are clinic courses graded?

Most client representation clinics are letter-graded. Most externships are graded pass/fail.

How do I set up an Independent Clinic?

Information on procedures and requirements available online or in the Legal Practice Center.

Are there limits on the number of clinics that may be taken?

Students may take only one clinic per semester. There is no limit on the total number of clinic credits one may earn during law school. One may not earn more than four Independent Clinic credits.