External Clinic and Externship Offerings

Course Description

Students serve as lawyers in the Claims Division of the City Solicitor’s Office and are assigned cases involving a variety of tort actions filed against the City. Students are exposed to all aspects of the litigation process, including the initial responsive pleading, written discovery, deposition, pre-trial motions, municipal court and arbitration hearings. All work is supervised by an attorney. Attendance throughout the semester at a Wednesday lecture series is required.

Required Certifications

Certification under Rules 321 and 322 of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is required.

Prerequisites

• Law 540 Evidence (Grade of C or better)
• Law 460 Trial Advocacy I or Law 558 Introduction to Trial Advocacy

Course Description

After an intensive orientation that includes the Philadelphia Court System as well as Pennsylvania criminal law, criminal procedure, and criminal trial practice, each student individually will represent clients at the Municipal Court level for motions, trials and/or preliminary hearings. Each of the days in court will be followed up by a classroom review of cases handled as well as discussion and informal mock trials of next week’s cases. A full day each week is spent representing the client in court followed by class. A significant amount of additional time must be spent by the student each week in preparing the case for trial. Most students in the past have felt that the heavy workload was redeemed by the wealth of experience provided by the course. Students are advised that attendance is mandatory for the first class session and a prerequisite for enrollment. Any student on the waiting list who would like to be considered for placement in the event of an opening, must attend this first class training session.

Required Certifications

Certification under Rules 321 and 322 of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is required.

Prerequisites

• Law 532 Criminal Procedure I
• Law 540 Evidence (Grade of C or better)
• Law 460 Trial Advocacy I or Law 558 Introduction to Trial Advocacy

Course Description

In this live client experiential program, students will learn about federal criminal practice in The Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Through course work and working with Federal Defenders, students will write motions to suppress, conduct research and help in trial preparation for the myriad of criminal cases currently in the federal system. This program involves exposure to high profile cases within the Eastern District, direct contact with clients, court observation and analysis of topical issues in criminal justice.

Important Notes

Students may not register for both Law 717 Federal Criminal Practice: Federal Defender and Law 724 Federal Criminal Practice: United States Attorney.

Prerequisites

• Law 532 Criminal Procedure I
• Law 540 Evidence (Grade of C or better)
• Law 460 Trial Advocacy I or Law 558 Introduction to Trial Advocacy

Course Description

This clinical program offers students the unique opportunity to exercise their lawyering skills by reviewing and investigating actual claims of innocence on behalf of Pennsylvania inmates and, where appropriate, pursuing legal avenues for exoneration and release from prison. Each student will be assigned cases under the supervision of the Director of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project or one of the mentoring attorneys. In the course of investigating factual claims and researching legal issues, students may review criminal files, interact with investigators, contact other attorneys, interview the client and witnesses, gather documentation and prepare legal documents and memoranda. Students will have the opportunity to observe court appearances and visit Pennsylvania prisons. As a consequence of this work, students will have many opportunities to develop and hone their lawyering skills in interviewing, fact investigation, factual and legal analysis, legal writing and problem-solving. The classroom component will cover topics including the definition of a claim of innocence, investigating and raising claims of innocence under Pennsylvania law, preservation of innocence claims for federal review, post conviction discovery rules, state and federal post conviction procedures and problems, investigative techniques and skills, the nature and uses of DNA and other scientific evidence and the state and federal rules governing admissibility of such evidence. As the semester progresses, students will explore the substantive and procedural issues in the context of the actual cases on which they are working as well as discuss the ethical issues common to this areas of practice.

Learn more about the PA Innocence Project

Important Notes

This can be a time intensive clinic that may require your availability at irregular hours. You must be available for the full day on Wednesdays.

Prerequisites

• Law 532 Criminal Procedure I
• Law 540 Evidence (Grade of C or better)

Course Description

Students will have the opportunity to assist in the Supervision to Aid Reentry Court (STAR) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The STAR program assists previously incarcerated federal prisoners to successfully reenter the community. Federal judges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Defender’s Office, the U.S. Probation Office, the Reentry Coordinator, and the Legal Intern Coordinator work together as a team to discuss each participant’s progress and develop plans to help participants succeed. Some of the legal issues that students will work on include: challenging arrears accrued on child support orders while incarcerated, adjusting child support payments, assisting participants in overcoming barriers to employment such as help obtaining occupational licenses, challenging traffic violations, and screening and registering participants for benefits. The bulk of in-court student representation takes place in Traffic Court.Students will participate in either Morning or Afternoon Reentry Court. Morning occurs every other Tuesday from 9 am to 11:15 am. Afternoon occurs every other Wednesday from 3 pm to 6 pm. In addition to engaging in experiential learning, students will also attend a seminar held on every other Wednesday at 5 pm to 7 pm.In the seminar, students will consider topics that include mass incarceration, collateral consequences of incarceration, and restorative justice. Students will represent participants in legal matters, and may also write position papers and give presentations on the broader issues associated with reentry.

Prerequisites

• LAW 0460 (Trial Advocacy I ) or LAW 0558 (Introduction to Trial Advocacy)
• LAW 0540 (Evidence) (C or better)

Course Description

Students who have successfully completed the Philadelphia Housing Court Clinic are eligible to participate in the Small Claims Mediation Clinic. During the course of the semester, students serve as official court mediators for a variety of civil cases which fall within the jurisdiction of the Municipal Court of Philadelphia. Cases will be assigned prior to the mediation date to ensure that the relevant substantive law may be discussed with the instructors. These substantive areas include consumer and real estate transactions, contract and performance of service issues, property damage, and debt collection cases. Students will also have the opportunity to mediate minor criminal cases (private criminal complaints) during this clinical. Necessary training on these cases will be provided. Students are expected to become familiar with the court procedures involved in the handling of mediation cases. Instructors will be available for individualized case consultation, review and analysis both before and after the mediation sessions. Because of the nature and scheduling of these cases, some students will be required to serve as mediators on mornings other than Friday. Regardless of the sessions when students are assigned cases to mediate, several Friday afternoon group sessions will be required.

Important Notes

Because completion of the Philadelphia Housing Court Clinic is required, enrollment is limited to those students who have taken the prerequisite either during the prior Spring or Fall Semester. Students who have not completed the Housing Court Clinic will not be permitted to take the Small Claims Mediation Clinic under any circumstances.

Prerequisites

• Law 731 Philadelphia Housing Court

Course Description

This course calls for students to serve as court appointed mediators to assist landlords and tenants in resolving their disputes under the auspices of the Municipal Court of Philadelphia. After an intensive training program which will encompass both Landlord/Tenant Law and the mediation process, the mediator will meet with the parties and guide the discussion, clarify legal questions and possibly generate options for resolution of dispute.