Clinical Studies in Law

Clinical Studies in Law

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Description

Clinical programs, in one form or another, exist today in virtually all of America's law schools.1 In some, law schools run their own clinics, with students handling cases (usually for indigent clients) and taking related courses or seminars. In others, students can participate in “externship programs,” in which they are placed in law offices to work on cases under the supervision of practicing attorneys. In addition to such opportunities for work on actual cases, law schools generally also offer “simulation courses,” which use elaborate role-plays to teach the skills and thinking processes involved in legal practice. Whatever the form, clinical programs have brought major changes in legal education in the past two decades. They have also brought a great deal of controversy. In virtually every school, there has been heated debate about the nature, cost, and goals of clinical instruction and the role of practice-related activities in law study. What follows is a brief description of the issues and insights that this controversy has generated.

Source Publication

Looking at Law School: A Student Guide From the Society of American Law Teachers

Source Editors/Authors

Stephen Gillers

Publication Date

1997

Edition

rev. exp. 4

Clinical Studies in Law

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