The Law School's clinics introduce students to the practice of law through the representation of indigent clients in the trial or appeal of actual cases. In each of the clinical programs, law students are instructed in basic lawyering skills, the substantive law governing the clinic's practice, and professional ethics.
Students develop a sense of professional identity and responsibility.
They also grow to realize the satisfaction inherent in applying newly acquired skills to aid individuals in critical need of assistance. Through their clinical work, students at St. Mary's are able to provide a significant public service to the community by augmenting the legal resources available to serve the large and growing indigent population of San Antonio and South Texas. According to the State Bar of Texas, about 94 percent of the civil legal needs of the poor in Texas are unmet. In recent years, students at St. Mary's have handled more than a thousand cases and provided urgently needed assistance to the homeless, the elderly, battered women, disabled children, death-row inmates, refugees, and immigrants. St. Mary's offers clinical programs in Civil Justice, Community Development, Criminal Justice, and Immigration and Human Rights.