Health Justice Policy & Advocacy Clinic

Information for Prospective Applicants

Students will be selected based on their potential to provide high quality, client-centered legal services to our client population. Faculty will consider students’ interest in and commitment to public health and health equity law and policy, access to justice, housing justice, environmental law, and/or a career in health law, housing law, environmental law, or public interest/pro bono lawyering. In addition, faculty will consider past experiences or expertise in working directly with low-income clients, policy, and the social determinants of health. Students who have not yet been able to explore these areas should not be deterred from applying but should explain in their applications their interest in and enthusiasm about working on these issues.

Interested students must fill out the Uniform Clinic Application from the Law School's student portal website under "Clinics," where a complete set of application instructions are posted at least a few weeks prior to registration.

Students should indicate in their application whether they would prefer to have primary responsibility for a policy or individual client matter. In addition, clearly indicate at the top of your statement:

• Your preference for
  1. housing or
  2. access to health care matter; and
• your top two choice of the following possible projects:
  1. federal and/or state policy (housing);
  2. advising health care systems on community health;
  3. eviction court rule reform;
  4. individual client representation (housing matter);
  5. lead poisoning prevention (environmental/housing)

Individual client representation takes place in teams of two and policy/regulatory teams range from 3-5 students. Students are expected to maintain case files and report all clinic hours in a responsible and timely fashion each week. Students are required to attend 1-2 hours of supervision meetings weekly, in addition to client-related work or meetings. Students may enroll in this course and in Law 6668 (Field Placement) only with permission of the Clinic Director and the Assistant Dean of Field Placement.

Students may contact Professor Benfer at any time to discuss the Clinic or to ask specific questions. Students may not enroll in this course and in Law 6668 (Field Placement) unless they have the written permission of the Clinic Director and the Assistant Dean of Field Placement.

Seminar and Faculty Supervision

The seminar component is designed to provide students with the substantive and skills training necessary to represent clients and engage in systems change effectively. The seminar structure includes facilitated group discussions, lecture, and skill-based simulations and “moots” to prepare for real world advocacy and further develop skills. Where possible, the seminar will incorporate techniques from other disciplines, such as interviewing for empathy, narrative theory, systems mapping and design thinking, cultural humility and overcome assumptions, and enhanced team building techniques, among others. Students employ the lawyering skills (e.g., interviewing, client counseling, issue spotting, etc.) learned during seminar in their case work and client representation. Students meet with their supervisor(s) on at least a weekly basis to review and discuss litigation and/or advocacy strategy and client counseling. Students are expected to lead these meetings and propose next steps to advance client goals. Supervisors review and give feedback on all documents and on all oral performances and accompany students to any hearings or advocacy events.

Time Commitment

Over the years, students have found this Clinic to be one of the most intense, exciting, and rewarding experiences of their academic careers. The benefits are substantial – by the time students complete the Clinic, they are likely to have had more advocacy experience and client contact than most attorneys several years out of law school. On the other hand, enrollment in this intensive Clinic requires that students commit to fulfilling extensive demands on their time. Students will be expected to devote an average of 24 hours per week to their Clinic work. The work will ebb and flow during the semester, requiring substantially more work when preparing for a case and less work between cases and advocacy events. Students should be prepared to respond to emergencies that may arise in their cases. We ask that students be prepared to be as flexible as possible and that they understand that policy and litigation schedules are often driven by judges, policymakers, and clients rather than by lawyers.

Fellowship Information

Academic Title: Visiting Associate Professor of Clinical Law and Clinical Fellow
Rank: Visiting Associate Professor
Discipline: Law
Contract Type: Visiting, Renewable Appointment (up to 2 years)
Proposed Start Date: July 1, 2024
Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time

Fellowship Application Information