Clinic students spend most of their time on casework, learning from the experience of working in a professional role. All clinic students attend a series of introductory classes that include readings, simulation exercises, and group discussions related to selected basic lawyering skills and the operation of the Vanderbilt Legal Clinic. In addition, for each clinical course there are supplemental classes covering issues of substantive law and procedure relevant to the types of cases handled in that particular course. Students in the Criminal Practice Clinic represent defendants in criminal proceedings, including felonies, and in selected post-conviction proceedings. Students in the Juvenile Practice Clinic handle the full range of cases adjudicated in Juvenile Court, including juvenile delinquency, child neglect and abuse, and child support.
Clinical faculty participate in and supervise the casework throughout the semester.
Individual and group case review sessions monitor the students' client representation. Students may take any clinical course for either one or two semesters. Three credits are awarded for the first semester a student is enrolled in the course, during which the student must attend both the general and the clinic-specific introductory classes. Two additional credits are awarded in the optional second semester of the course when the student concentrates exclusively on casework. Student caseloads are controlled carefully in order to create an optimal environment for learning and to assure the highest quality representation for the clients of the Vanderbilt Legal Clinic.