CURRICULUM
Course Descriptions: Clinics
620 Consumer Mediation Clinic (2 or 3)
Izumi, Ovca
Students act as neutral third parties who help local consumers resolve disputes with businesses by facilitating mediated agreements. Students perform intake interviews, provide information and referrals, identify inter-ests and priorities of the parties, generate and narrow options, and craft settlement terms. Student-mediators develop problem-solving techniques as they learn about federal and state consumer laws. For 2 credits, stu-dents devote 10 hours per week to clinical work, including phone hours, attend a required weekly two-hour seminar, and present a brief paper analyzing one mediation case. Students may earn 1 additional credit by participating in the Community Dispute Resolution Center, a joint project of the Law School and the non-profit Center for Dispute Settlement. Stu-dents conduct co-mediations of interpersonal disputes referred by com-munity agencies and organizations. Requirements for this component in-clude an additional 4 hours per week of clinical work, attendance at an in-tensive training session during a weekend before commencing co-mediations, preparation of brief writings on co-mediations, and participation in out-of-class videotaped simulations. Open to second- and third-year students. Permission of the instructor required prior to registration. The grade of H, P, LP, or NC is given for this course. Students may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both in-structors.
621 Small Business Clinic (2, 3, or 4)
Jones
Under the supervision of the instructor, students assist small businesses and nonprofit organizations with a wide variety of legal issues, including drafting incorporation and partnership papers (such as articles of incorpora-tion and bylaws), compliance with local licensing requirements, reviewing and drafting contracts and leases, advising on tax problems and related matters; 15–20 hours of work per week required. Prerequisite: Law 250 and 300 and permission of instructor. The grade of H, P, LP, or NC is given for this course. Students may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both instructors.
622 Public Justice Advocacy Clinic (3 or 4)
J. Gutman
Under faculty supervision, students represent clients before administrative agencies and participate in public interest litigation on behalf of low-income clients. Student responsibilities include client interviewing, factual develop-ment, legal analysis, drafting of pleadings, discovery and motions, and nego-tiating settlements in cases. Students may also work with nonprofit and community organizations to present positions in legislative fora and in regula-tory matters pending before administrative agencies. Open to second- and third-year students. Students may take this course for two semesters. Stu-dents may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permis-sion of both instructors.
624 Civil Litigation Clinic (4)
Strand
Open to third-year students. Participants represent indigent litigants in D.C. Superior Court. Students are exposed to a range of cases in the Family Division (divorce, custody, child support, alimony), and the Civil Division (small claims, negligence, consumer, property disputes). Re-sponsibilities include client interviewing, investigation, settlement negotia-tions, drafting of initial pleadings and motions, as well as conducting ac-tual hearings and trials. Students must have 16 to 20 hours per week to devote to this clinic. Participation is by permission of the instructor; appli-cations must be submitted during the spring of the preceding academic year. Prerequisite: Law 230 and 360. Law 640 is strongly recommended. Students may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both instructors.
625 Federal, Criminal, and Appellate Clinic (4)
Lyman, Olesen
Under supervision of the instructor, third-year students litigate appellate cases, primarily direct appeals from criminal convictions in area courts of appeal. Student responsibilities include development of the lawyer/client relationship, record review and selection of issues, briefing, and oral ar-gument. A weekly seminar addresses the lawyer’s role, ethical and pro-cedural problems, litigation strategy, and criminal justice issues through role-playing, simulation, and written exercises. Student work loads fluctu-ate, but average about 20 hours per week. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor, and applications must be submitted during the spring of the preceding academic year. Must be taken for the full academic year; 8 graded credits are awarded at the end of the spring semester. Prerequi-site: Law 230 and 360; Law 650 is recommended. Students may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both in-structors.
626 Vaccine Injury Clinic (4)
Meyers
This clinic allows approximately ten second- and third-year students, un-der faculty supervision, to represent individuals who have suffered serious vaccine-related injuries and who are seeking damages in trial and appel-late proceedings before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. A weekly two-hour seminar will focus on multidisciplinary (medical/legal) training in vac-cine injury issues, and on lawyering skills such as client interviewing and counseling and cross examination of medical experts. Students will also evaluate Claims Court’s program as a model for tort reform. Students must devote approximately 16 hours per week to the clinic, and partici-pate in both the fall and spring semesters. Four hours of graded credit are given for each semester. Students may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both instructors.
627 Environmental Law Clinic (2 or 3)
Turley
Second-, third-, and fourth-year students participate in the J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Environmental Law Clinic, representing clients in environ-mental litigation in both the federal and state systems. Students work un-der faculty supervision in administrative, trial, or appellate actions, particu-larly citizen suit actions. This work includes actions under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Re-source Recovery and Conservation Act, and the Federal Facilities Com-pliance Act. Permission of the instructor is required prior to registration. Two or 3 hours of graded credit are given for this course. Prerequisite or concurrent registration: Law 430. Students may enroll con-currently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both instructors.
630 Immigration Clinic (3)
Young
Students assume substantial responsibility for handling a range of immi-gration law matters, including determining what benefits or forms of relief, if any, are available to their clients, and, in appropriate circumstances, representing their clients in removal proceedings. Because the Clinic’s clients come from all over the world, cultural sensitivity is essential and foreign language skills are welcome. A minimum of 210 hours of work per semester and attendance at a two-hour weekly seminar are required. Permission of the instructor is required prior to registration. Prerequisite: Law 538. Students may enroll in this course and Law 668 only with per-mission of both instructors.
631 Health Rights Law Clinic (2)
Jackson
Under faculty supervision, second- and third-year students provide advice and information and assist in providing legal representation to older D.C. residents who are having difficulty with medical bills, Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurance problems. Students perform two hours of in-take at the office or by home visit each week, attend the weekly two-hour health insurance seminar, and take major responsibility for up to five cases during the semester. Areas of legal representation include Medi-caid, “Medigap” insurance, HMO or managed care coverage under Medi-care; appeals regarding denial of payment for hospital or home health care before the utilization review organization or an appropriate judicial fo-rum; negotiating with collection agencies and billing offices regarding payment of medical bills. Student should expect to devote 10 hours per week to this course. The grade of H, P, LP, or NC is given for this course. Students may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both instructors.
632 Administrative Advocacy Clinic (2 or 3)
Under faculty supervision, second- and third-year students represent low-income and elderly clients before federal and D.C. administrative agen-cies and, on occasion, in court. Students have primary responsibility for interviewing and counseling clients and using oral and written advocacy skills to advance claims informally and in administrative hearings. Stu-dents work in the areas of Social Security, disability, food stamps, AFDC, and other public entitlement pro-grams. Students also draft wills, powers of attorney, and other legal documents. Participants in the clinic are expected to work eight hours per week and attend a two-hour weekly seminar. Because of federal conflict of interest rules, students generally may not participate in the clinic while employed, with or without pay, by the federal government. The grade of H, P, LP, or NC is given for this course. Students may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both instructors.
633 International Human Rights Clinic (4)
Carrillo
Under faculty supervision, students work in a clinical setting in partnership with experienced attorneys and specialized institutions engaged in human rights activism on case projects drawn from one of two principal areas: (1) litigation and advocacy before international human rights tribunals and treaty bodies, primarily in the Inter-American and United Nations human rights systems; or (2) human rights litigation and advocacy in the United States, especially in relation to the Alien Tort Claims Act and the Torture Victims Protection Act. Corequisite: Law 567; prerequisite: Law 520, 546, or 568 or completion of the GW–Oxford International Human Rights Law Program.
634 Law Students in Court (4)
Hay
A clinical program in trial advocacy, offering an opportunity to develop skills as a trial lawyer while representing indigent persons in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Students may participate in either the civil division (which focuses primarily upon the representation of tenants in landlord–tenant actions, but also handles some consumer, negligence, and other civil matters) or the criminal division (in which student litigators defend persons charged with misdemeanor offenses). Students in both divisions have the opportunity to participate in jury trials. They are re-sponsible for all aspects of litigation under the supervision of clinical in-structors: interviewing clients and witnesses, conducting investigations, preparing pleadings, engaging in settlement negotiations or plea bargain-ing, and conducting all motions hearings and trials pursuant to the Supe-rior Court’s third-year practice rule. Only third-year students who have completed Law 230 and 360 may participate in the clinic. Seminars are held in the civil division on Monday evenings and in the criminal division on Thursday evenings. Students must have one day per week available for court appearances and plan to devote approximately 20 hours per week to the clinic. Students must participate in the program for two con-secutive semesters, beginning in either the summer or fall. Application must be made during the spring semester of the preceding academic year. This course may not be taken at the same time as Law 624 or any litigating activities in Law 632. Students may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both instructors. Enrollment is limited, with selection by lottery. This course is graded on a CR/NC basis.
635 Disabled People and the Law (2)
Banzhaf
Examination of those areas in which persons with disabilities have tradition-ally been denied some right or benefit afforded other persons in our society and have resorted to legal action; introduction to statutes and agencies de-signed to protect people with disabilities. Students may choose to prepare a research paper (and receive legal writing credit and a numerical grade) or to gain practical experience doing a clinical project (on a CR/NC basis). Stu-dents may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permis-sion of both instructors.
636 Law and the Deaf (1, 2, or 3)
Banzhaf
Work with the National Association for the Deaf in bringing legal informa-tion, services, and representation to the 28 million Americans who are deaf or hearing-impaired. The Association is designed to help make the hearing-impaired aware of their legal rights and to assist them in solving their legal and law-related problems. Students may participate in one or more projects: (1) counseling persons with hearing impairments about le-gal problems at a walk-in clinic usually held on the Gallaudet College campus; (2) preparing and participating in workshops for hearing-impaired persons to acquaint them with their rights and obligations under the law; (3) assisting in representing the interests of deaf and hearing-impaired persons in judicial and administrative proceedings; (4) preparing research papers on topics related to law and the deaf or preparing handbooks ex-plaining legal topics to the hearing-impaired. Students may learn some sign language but will be assisted by trained translators when dealing with deaf individuals. Approximately 60 hours of work per semester is required for each credit hour. Students may repeat this course for a maximum of 8 credit hours of credit. This course may not be taken at the same time as Law 634 or any litigating activities in Law 632. Students may enroll con-currently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both instruc-tors. This course is graded on a CR/NC basis.
637 Legal Activism (2 or 3)
Banzhaf
Study of the legal process, not to benefit individual clients, but as a powerful tool for affecting social change and advancing the public interest. Topics discussed in a two-hour seminar meeting each week include principles of maximizing legal leverage, legal judo, guerrilla law, working with the press and members of Congress, drafting of legal documents, unusual legal tools and tactics, negotiation, making money from public interest law, etc. Stu-dents may choose to bring a public interest legal action before an agency or in court or may undertake another legal action project for 3 credits and re-ceive a numerical grade. Alternatively, students may do research on a topic related to public interest law for 2 credits on a CR/NC basis. Stu-dents may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with per-mission of both instructors.
638 Intensive Clinical Placement (arr.)
Staff
Projects involving litigation, research, or public interest activities of a legal nature (including aid to indigents, support of public interest nonprofit cor-porations, and support of governmental agencies or courts) may be initi-ated and will be supervised by a faculty member. Projects must be ap-proved in advance by the Law School Supervisory Committee (three members) both as to whether the project is appropriate and as to the number of credit hours to be granted. A maximum of 10 credit hours may be taken in one or two semesters. This course is open to a limited number of third-year students. This course is graded on a CR/NC basis. Students may enroll concurrently in this course and Law 668 only with permission of both instructors.