Criminal Justice Clinic

Catalog description

This course is the criminal litigation and advocacy component in which students, under supervision, represent indigent criminal defendants in all phases of a criminal case: pretrial motions and trials; parole hearings; state post-conviction relief; appeals to the LA Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal and the LA Supreme Court; and federal habeas corpus petitions in the federal district court, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal, and United States Supreme Court. Additionally, students engage in non-litigation advocacy on behalf of clinic clients such as testifying before the state legislature, meeting with community organizations, and partaking in community legal education. This course is geared towards those considering careers in criminal law, either as prosecutors or defense attorneys. To be taken in conjunction with Criminal Practice Seminar. Students are selected on the basis of an application and personal interview. Full year only, 3 credits in the fall and 3 credits in the spring. A rule penalizing students for lack of preparation and/or excessive absenteeism will be invoked. Course may be repeated 2 times for credit.