Labs and Practicums

Yemen Accountability Project

In our labs and practicums, you work on discrete legal issues presented to faculty by courts and practitioners who seek assistance on current cases. Our students research and discuss the issues presented and prepare memoranda or briefs for the referring lawyers, judges or organizations to use. Examples include:

Death Penalty Lab I and II

Students work on semester-long research projects arising from actual death penalty cases that are of assistance to practitioners in death penalty cases or research projects for governmental and non-governmental organizations engaged in support for, opposition to, or reform of the death penalty at a local state, national or global level. Students who have completed Lab I may assume a supervisory role in Lab II working with Lab I students.

First Amendment and Media Law Practicum

This course explores the substantive law and policy considerations involved in representing journalists, researchers, protesters, and other civil rights plaintiffs. The focus of this course is the public's right to know: it focuses on legal mechanisms for inspecting judicial proceedings and government records, and legal issues surrounding news-gathering, speaking and publishing. The work is tied into live-client matters in the First Amendment Clinic, and students in the Practicum support the representations through researching and drafting litigation documents and associated advocacy.

Human Trafficking Practicum: High Risk Population Identification

This course provides a 'hands-on' opportunity to participate in issue-spotting, intake and legal matter development in populations identified as high-risk for human trafficking. Students participate in off-site intake experiences for individuals who are at high risk for human trafficking and assist the instructor with civil-litigation matters handled through the Human Trafficking Law Clinic. Students utilize their issue-spotting skills by assisting individuals with conducting driver's license abstracts and credit report pulls, identifying warrant blocks, consumer law matters, or family law concerns, and conducting legal research on a variety of civil matters.

International Law Research Lab

Students undertake legal research projects designed at the request of various international law enforcement organizations. Recent clients include the International Criminal Court, the UN-affiliated tribunals in Cambodia and Sierra Leone, Interpol, U.S. Military Commissions, and the U.S.Coast Guard, among others. Course sessions explore the development and practice of international criminal law as well as developing jurisprudence relevant to the current students' projects. Substantial time is devoted to in-class discussion of target issues, writing workshops, and individual presentation of findings. Completed projects are forwarded to the requesting clients and posted in the school's international war crimes portal. 

Patent Agent Lab

The patent claim is the most important part of the patent application, because it is the claim that represents the metes and bounds of the inventor's property right. This lab is devoted to drafting claims, understanding the different types of claims, and how claims differ depending on the nature of the technology.

We offer many other experiential education courses as well, including:

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Appellate Practice
  • Basic Mediation Training
  • Mediation Representation
  • Pretrial Practice:  Civil
  • Pretrial Practice:  Criminal
  • Technology in Law Practice
  • Trial Tactics