Pre-requisite: Completion of first year curriculum, Pre-or-co-requisite: Ethics
Summer 2008 Prof. S. Homer
Fall 2008 Prof. J. Martinez
Spring 2009 Prof. A. Sedillo Lopez
The Law Practice Clinic will emphasize the development of professional skills and values by assigning students to represent clients in a variety of both civil and criminal cases. In their casework, students will be individually and closely supervised in their representation of low-income clients drawn primarily from the University community in selected civil and criminal cases. Each student will be assigned a mix of cases typical of a general law practice in New Mexico with some opportunity for a more specialized type of practice taking into account each student's preferences and career plans and available faculty resources. We will inherit cases developed in the Business and Tax clinic. The emphasis in student casework is to give law students direct experience with live clients and real cases and to provide close individual and collaborative faculty supervision. In addition to providing real world experience, students are encouraged to develop and explore the professional dimensions of client-oriented problem solving. Students are expected to develop and assume full professional responsibility for competent, professional and ethical decision- making in helping their clients solve their legal problems.
Students will be required (1) to attend and actively participate in up to five classroom sessions during each week of the academic semester and (2) to maintain a schedule of 24 office hours each week during Summer, 16 office hours each week during Fall and Spring semesters.
The classroom component seeks to help prepare students to represent his or her clients competently, to promote professionalism in dealing with clients, lawyers, staff and others; and to provide experience in individual and collaborative problem solving. Classroom sessions include discussion of pending clinic cases and assigned readings; role-play and simulation; and collaborative planning and evaluation. The classroom component typically addresses such skills and topics as: client interviewing and counseling; legal research, fact investigation and case evaluation; drafting documents and correspondence; persuasion, negotiation and dispute resolution; procedure (including tax procedure) and proof of facts; case management; law office management; computer technology in the law office; and professional responsibility and ethics.
Students having any questions about this clinic are encouraged to visit with Prof. Homer, Prof. Martinez or Prof. Sedillo Lopez