Students are supervised by three board-certified specialists in criminal law, each with over 25 years' experience in the Travis County criminal courts. Students also participate in the Clinic's classroom and simulation components. The classroom component focuses on the skills, tactics, and procedures for defending criminal cases. The simulation component focuses on negotiation and trial advocacy. The clinical component of the Domestic Violence Clinic provides students with the opportunity to represent victims of domestic violence in connection with the variety of legal problems facing them, including custody, divorce, visitation, housing, consumer, public assistance and procurement of protective orders.
Students represent low income families on their housing-related legal problems.
Thus, a good deal of the work involves representation of clients in threatened evictions and in denials of public housing, subsidized housing and Section 8 housing. The clinic also involves representation of clients in other aspects of landlord-tenant law. Some opportunity exists for real estate related work on behalf of individuals and community-based nonprofit groups. In the past students have drafted deeds, earnest money contracts, affidavits of heirship and leases. Students are responsible for interviewing clients, investigating their cases, researching legal issues, negotiating with opposing parties, drafting pleadings and discovery in eviction cases, and representing clients at administrative hearings and in court.