Clinic students write briefs that are argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. At this printing, every student graduating from the clinic has had legal employment within one year of graduation. Clinic students may interview clients, investigate facts, draft pleadings, and appear in court. They gain experience handling criminal, civil, and administrative cases. The types of civil cases include landlord-tenant, consumer, and prisoner civil rights.
Criminal cases involve misdemeanors such as drunk driving, domestic violence, and assault.
Students represent clients in administrative hearings on Social Security problems. Third-year students have the special opportunity to be certified as legal interns by the Supreme Court of Ohio. Interns assist staff attorneys in presenting cases in court. These students are required to participate in the Clinical Seminar class. Although not all of our cases go to trial, students nonetheless gain valuable experience with pre-trial litigation skills, skills that are becoming all the more important in this age of crowded court dockets.