Legal Clinics USC's clinical training programs are designed to develop lawyering skills of the highest quality. The first type provides training through intensive classroom exercises in which students use hypothetical case materials in simulated law office and courtroom settings, with actors playing the roles of clients and witnesses. In the second type of clinical experience, students learn legal skills and principles by working on actual cases for real clients under the supervision of a practicing lawyer and a member of the faculty.
Most clinical courses meet in small groups.
Students are videotaped and their performances are intensively reviewed. In the Trial Practice Series, students may select from courses that focus on different stages of the litigation process. Pretrial Advocacy examines the conceptual and practical aspects of interviewing, counseling, negotiation, settlement, drafting, discovery, and formal advocacy in the handling of legal cases. The course also covers the ethical implications of litigation tactics and strategies. The final exam in the course includes the presentation of a lengthy jury trial.