The Clinic also acts as a teaching centre for third-year students. The law school offers another type of clinical experience, dealing solely with criminal law, in which, to complement special classes and seminars, students are assigned to either a judge, a Crown Counsel, or a defence lawyer, to observe and participate in criminal law work. Students receive academic credit for both clinical programmes. The Law School, in conjunction with several other faculties, offers four combined degree programmes. Students intending to make application to any of the combined programmes should inquire directly to the Registrar's Office, Dalhousie University.
Students are able to participate in several mooting programmes.
All second and third year students are required to participate in Moot Court, second year students as counsel, and third y ear students as judges. The best second year counsel compete in their third year for the Smith Shield, a prestigious Dalhousie award. Dalhousie, in cooperation with the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, offers a voluntary Judge's Clerkship Programme for third year students. This programme, which is in addition to regular c lasses and not for credit, allows qualified students to spend one week during the term with a Supreme Court Justice in Chambers, and offers a valuable and practical learning experience. Some students each year may also have the opportunity to act as stude nt assistants, for credit, to the N.S. Appeal Court and some may do the same with the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.