Coming in Fall 2013
The Civil Rights Clinic will focus on the intersection of civil rights and criminal justice, taking on cases challenging abusive corrections and law enforcement practices, such as unconstitutional prison conditions and discriminatory policing practices. Students will primarily litigate cases in the federal courts, drafting complaints, interviewing and counseling clients, drafting and arguing motions, conducting discovery, settlement and trial. The clinic will give students significant exposure to and experience with civil practice in the federal courts. It is also designed to meet a very real need for legal services, as the vast majority of these kinds of civil rights cases are filed by indigent prisoners and detainees with no access to legal counsel.
In addition to working on cases, students will take a seminar designed to deepen understanding of substantive and procedural law governing federal civil rights actions, and strengthen lawyering skills important to litigation.
