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Abstract

As a clinical teacher I have the opportunity each semester to witness third-year law students discover, in many cases for the first time in their lives, what it means to be a practitioner of law. Through representation of real clients, student interns have the opportunity to engage in a variety of typical lawyering activities, such as interviewing and counseling of clients and witnesses, case planning, preparation of written pleadings and other documents, negotiation, and trial advocacy. Informed by a law school education that emphasizes the litigation process and the study of the written law, including certain areas of substantive law derived from written judicial opinions and the formal written rules (e.g., evidence and civil procedure) that govern the litigation process, most students have come to expect certain things about American legal systems and what it means to represent clients within these systems. Upon entering the law clinic, for instance, the majority of students can hardly wait to get into court, however brief or unimportant the appearance. While some genuinely look forward to their first court appearance, even those for whom the prospect of appearing in court is one of trepidation fully expect their cases to culminate in a hearing or trial before a judicial tribunal.

Publication Title

Clinical Law Review

Volume

6

Issue

1

First Page

127

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