The Type of Training Students Develop in the Clinic
Students represent clients in the areas of consumer law
(focusing on consumer frauds and scams such as predatory lending
and home improvement fraud), debtor-creditor law, and benefit
entitlements such as Social Security disability, Supplemental
Security income, Medicaid and pension benefits. Clinical Professors
supervise students in all aspects of client representation.
Students provide representation from the initial client contact
through the final resolution of their case including:
- Performing client and witness interviews
- Legal research
- Drafting pleadings including:
- complaints
- answers
- motion
- briefs
- Participate in discovery proceedings
- Argue motions
- Represent clients at administrative hearings and at court
hearings and trials
- Represent clients at settlement negotiations and draft
settlement agreements
In representing clients, students have the opportunity to
formulate and implement legal strategies, to develop and argue
legal theories, to consider ethical concerns and to effectively
advocate for their clients.
Student Supervision
The Professors who supervise the Clinic work full-time at
the Clinic. They are available to meet with students on a daily
basis and also conduct formal weekly meetings with each student for
a detailed discussion of each case assigned to him/her. Together,
student and teacher evaluate the relevant facts and law, identify
the interests of the client, and discuss strategies to best meet
those needs.
Seminar Component
The Clinic also includes a weekly seminar component. The seminar
provides the opportunity for students to learn and develop
essential lawyering skills required in client representation in an
educational setting. Students participate in interviewing and
negotiation simulations. Each exercise is videotaped and critiqued
by Clinic supervisors. While learning the fundamentals of these
lawyering skills, students have the opportunity to reflect on their
performances and to experiment with different styles and approaches
to find one best suited for them. The seminars also teach complaint
drafting, techniques of discovery drafting, and drafting of legal
memoranda. Substantive areas of law surrounding Clinic cases are
discussed. Students also participate in roundtable discussions
where each student presents a clients case, identifying a
particularly complex legal, ethical, or strategy issue. These
discussions allow students to learn from the experiences of other
students, to share ideas, and to work together as a team.
Community Outreach and Public Education
Clinic students also participate in community outreach and public
education at senior centers throughout Queens. Each student is
responsible for making two presentations during the course of the
semester. Students present information about the Clinic, identify
consumer scams targeted at seniors, and discuss benefits that
seniors may be entitled to receive. These forums also provide the
opportunity for seniors to ask questions and to tell students about
the legal problems affecting them. This exchange of information and
ideas enables the Clinic to better serve the community. The
community outreach and public education component of the Clinic is
wide reaching, as it provided such community education to
approximately 1,000 Queens seniors each year.