The academic component covers the structure of local government, the allocation of power between federal, state and local governments, and the professional and ethical responsibility of lawyers who represent cities and municipalities. For the fieldwork component, students work 16 hours per week in a department of the San Francisco City Attorney's office. The placements are chosen to offer students the opportunity to work on projects that will enable the students to begin to understand the role of the city attorney and the nature of public law practice generally, and to begin to acquire the substantive knowledge and practical skills lawyers practicing local government law need. Typical departments would include, in the San Francisco City Attorney's Office, the general government group, the health, education and social services group, the land use and environment group, and the labor group. The focus of the clinic is not on litigation, so placements in the trial division are excluded.
Enrollment is contingent on acceptance into a fieldwork placement offered by the clinic.
Students who preregister for the clinic will be placed on a waiting list and will be enrolled after they are approved by the City Attorney's office. 4th, 5th, or 6th semester students only. The Workers' Rights Clinic provides free legal information and assistance to low-income working people with employment related problems. Students conduct initial client interviews and, in consultation with the supervising attorneys, provide counseling, legal information and referrals. Students spend approximately nine hours on clinic related activities each week.