Clinical Programs

Clinical legal education is a way to learn about law and lawyering from hands-on experience. Students actively take the role of legal practitioner, engaging in and learning from real life practice, while helping diverse communities.

All UC Hastings’ clinical courses integrate substantive theory with actual lawyering activities. Under the supervision of experienced clinical professors and attorneys, students bear primary responsibility for identifying issues, making decisions, managing processes, and solving problems.  Clinic seminars, one-on-one sessions with supervisors, collaboration with student partners, and fieldwork in the community provide the settings for critical preparation, skills attainment, constructive feedback, and reflection.  

Clinics

In our in-house clinics, students take primary responsibility for representing actual clients under the supervision of full-time UC Hastings faculty. In out-placement clinics, students work with attorneys in governmental agencies or non profit law offices. In our hybrid clinics, students take responsibility for working with actual clients under the supervision of lawyers who are experts in their field; the work is then discussed in a classroom setting with UC Hastings faculty.  A signature goal of all clinical programs at UC Hastings is for students to develop their own identities and aspirations to become ethical, proficient professionals.  In some clinics, students represent actual clients and in others they work on policy, legislative, or litigation matters on behalf of institutional clients.  With low student:teacher ratios, each clinic is an intensive learning lab.

• BioTech Startup Clinic
• Civil Justice Clinic (CJC) Individual Representation Clinic
• Community Economic Development Clinic
• Community Group Advocacy and Social Change Lawyering Clinic
• Criminal Practice Clinic
• Environmental Law Clinic
• Immigrants' Rights Clinic
• Legislation Clinic
• Local Government Law Clinic
• Mediation Clinic
• Medical-Legal Partnership for Seniors Clinic
• Refugee and Human Rights Clinic 
• Technology Startup Clinic
• Workers' Rights Clinic

Externships

Externships give students opportunities to develop their legal skills under close supervision at approved governmental or public interest law offices. In addition to working in the placements, students co-enroll in a faculty taught course designed to enhance the placement experience. Faculty also monitor placements to ensure their quality as learning experiences. Students assume real-world responsibilities and develop professional contacts and relationships in contexts identical to those in which they may eventually practice.

• Alternative Dispute Resolution Externship
• Judicial Externship Program
• Legal Externship Program