This program provides an opportunity to work on current environmental issues with federal, state or local environmental agencies, public interest law firms, and private practitioners engaged in pro bono work in the field. Students obtain direct experience with administration and implementation of environmental statutes or litigation in this field. Students have approximately 20 hours of clinical work each week and participate in a weekly seminar. Environmental Law is a prerequisite or may be taken concurrently. Each student has a caseload of two or three smaller cases and one complex case.
Students prepare and present their cases in state and federal courts.
The course develops lawyering skills with special emphasis on litigation strategy, pretrial and trial preparation, and trial advocacy. In their representation of clients in actual cases, students have the opportunity to engage in nterviewing and counseling, negotiation, fact investigation and discovery, oral advocacy, direct and cross- examination, and trial argument. Students also draft research memoranda, strategy memoranda, pleadings, motions and trial briefs. Special attention is placed on professional responsibility issues and strategic case planning methods. Throughout the course a combination of teaching methods is employed, including classroom instruction, individual case supervision, simulations and videotaped exercises.