Baltimore Region Community Programs

Title: Clinical Law Programs
Description: Rule 16 of the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Maryland permits students who have completed one-third of their legal education to practice law in a law school clinic under the supervision of a member of the bar. The Clinical Law Program affords students the opportunity to begin the transition from law school to law practice, from learning to be a lawyer to being a lawyer. Students practice law under the close and supportive supervision of a member of the faculty. Typically students enroll for 5 or 7 credits in one semester or for 8 credits (4 in each semester) taken over two semesters. The practice in the clinic includes civil and criminal law matters and may include appearances before courts, administrative agencies, legislatures and other bodies. Students have the opportunity to be counselors, negotiators, advocates and problem solvers for their clients. In recent years the practice has included representing defendants in misdemeanor and felony trials, probationers in probation revocation hearings, children and parents petitioning for special education and other habilitation services, juveniles before the juvenile court, unemployed workers seeking unemployment compensation, and petitioners for social security disability benefits. Students in the clinic have also advised and represented tenants and groups of tenants with problems arising from their housing, their relations with their landlords, and lead paint poisoning. Students meet regularly with supervising attorneys to review the work that has been done and to plan the strategy to accomplish the clientýs purposes. In the classroom component, the clinical course students learn the substantive and procedural law they must know to practice in the area of their special concentration and the tasks of lawyering. In this setting, students explore the theory, practice and ethics of interviewing, counseling, advocating, and the full range of lawyer tasks in which they are engaged. Through this personal experience, supervision and course work, students have the opportunity to think reflectively about the legal profession, about their work as lawyers, and about the role of lawyers in a just society.
Website: http://www.law.umaryland.edu/programs/clinic/index.html
School(s): Law
Contacts:
Michael Pinard
410-706-4121
mpinard@law.umaryland.edu

Community Served: State of Maryland
Services Provided: Legal
Client type: Children,Teenagers,Adults
Physical Location: On Campus,Off Campus
School System Served:
Office Location: 500 W. Baltimore St, Baltimore MD 21201
Service Location:
Program Timeframe: Continuous
 Health Fairs:

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