| LW.12807 / LW.12808 Open to 3L and 2L students; LLMs if space permits* Maximum of 14 students |
Not offered 2025-26
|
Course Description
Fieldwork
Through a problem-solving approach towards cases for plaintiffs, defendants, and even persons discouraged from filing a case, CFLSE students become intimately familiar with every stage of the civil process prior to trial by: assessing lawsuits prior to submission; drafting complaints; drafting oppositions to motions to dismiss; responding to complaints; drafting discovery documents; participating in depositions, mediations, and settlement conferences; and drafting summary judgment documents. Students will also have the opportunity to work collaboratively with social work master’s students, volunteer attorneys from law firms, and retired attorneys with extensive experience in the public interest and the private sector.
Seminar
The first portion of the seminar will focus on federal civil procedure and the substantive areas of law that the students will repeatedly encounter to prepare students for assisting litigants with lawsuits in the SDNY. This portion of the clinic will include a six-hour long bootcamp during one of the first Saturdays or Sundays of the school year.
In the remainder of the semester, students will participate in simulations, and we will use the seminar to discuss policy decisions on dispute resolution made by the federal courts, the value of legal services, ethical issues that arise from litigation, the challenges that students face in their cases, and boundary setting for self-care.
Advanced Semester
Students have the option to enroll in a second semester as advanced students for the spring semester immediately following their fall semester. This permits students to choose to build on and continue their work from the first semester.
Application Procedure
Please submit the standard application and resume on-line via CAMS. Priority will be given to students who indicate an interest during the application process in participating in both the basic and the advanced course.
* Consult the Clinics Open to LLMs page to see if the clinic is available to LLMs in the current year.
** 5 credits include 3 clinical credits and 2 academic seminar credits. (LW.12807/LW.12808). Both the seminar and the fieldwork will receive a letter grade.
*** 4 credits include 3 clinical credits and 1 academic seminar credits. (LW.12809/LW.12810). Both the seminar and the fieldwork will receive a letter grade.