Defense and Advocacy Clinic
What We Do
In this in-house, one-semester litigation and advocacy clinic, students represent clients charged with misdemeanor offenses in Queens Criminal Court, advocate for clients held in punitive segregation at Rikers Island, and navigate policy issues related to mass incarceration, mass criminalization, and public defense.
The Defense and Advocacy Clinic is an immersive in-house, one-semester litigation and advocacy clinic. Students represent clients charged with misdemeanor offenses in Queens Criminal Court, advocate for clients held in punitive segregation at Rikers Island, and navigate policy issues to related to mass incarceration, mass criminalization, and public defense.
Students take full responsibility for their clients’ cases and develop essential lawyering skills during the course of the clinic including:
- Interviewing clients
- Making bail applications
- Conducting investigations
- Litigating discovery
- Drafting motions
- Negotiating with prosecutors
- Researching immigration and other direct consequences
- Mitigation advocacy
- Appearing before judges
- Counseling clients
As students gain practical experience, they learn to navigate New York's criminal system and advocate for clients who are disenfranchised. They also attend a weekly seminar, where they simulate skills with full-time practitioners, explore New York State’s criminal legal reform movements, and consider policy solutions to systemic issues they encounter in the field, as well as recurring challenges in public defense.
Contact Us
Defense and Advocacy Clinic
Clinical Office
St. John’s School of Law, Room 2-26
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439
[email protected]
Phone: 718-990-6689
Fax: 718-990-1961
Our Clinic
Students are required to have taken Criminal Law and are encouraged to have taken Criminal Procedure: Investigation, Evidence, and Trial Advocacy. This course satisfies the Advanced Practice Writing Requirement and the Applied Skills Requirement.
Martin J. LaFalce
Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Education
Director, Defense and Advocacy Clinic
When to Apply
St. John's Law students apply in the spring to participate in the Defense and Advocacy Clinic during the following fall semester and apply in the fall to participate in the Clinic during the spring semester.
Application Process
Students apply to the Clinic by submitting an online application and the following materials:
- A cover letter stating your interest in the clinic
- Your current resume
- Your unofficial transcript printed from the Academic Record screen in UIS
Attend an Information Session
To learn more about the Clinic and our application process, we recommend that you attend the Clinical Information Session held in April and October.
Questions?
If you have questions about applying to the Clinic, please email [email protected]