| General Description: | The Appalachian School of Law’s Live Client Clinics for third-year students are joint educational ventures between the law school and outside law offices, corporations, legal aid sites, natural resources sites, mediation sites, and the judiciary (collectively the “Live Clinics”). ASL has created a diverse list of Live Clinics, particularly with alumni, to expand experiential learning opportunities for our students.
Live Clinic courses offer students the opportunity to learn experientially, by working directly on cases, or by working for, or with, an outside lawyer or a judge, or by working on a project involving legal issues. In addition, these courses are designed to offer students the opportunity to hone their skills in drafting legal documents, such as contracts, and writing legal memoranda and briefs. Students can also learn how to research and write appellate briefs while representing actual clients. These are courses in skills, but they are also courses in legal reasoning and analysis, which the student will have the chance to practice and refine in the context of each legal problem she or he addresses. Third-Year students enroll in a practicum or seminar and work additional time each week at a Live Clinic that relates to the course in which the student is enrolled. For example, if a student enrolled in ASL’s Real Estate Transactions Practicum, the student’s Live Clinic would be an office where the work relates to real estate law. The precise work conducted in any semester depends on the course and the needs of the Live Clinic’s clients, to whom the student provides services under the supervision of a licensed attorney working at the Live Clinic site. Students complete the Live Clinic during either the fall or spring semester, depending on the semester of enrollment. Depending upon the rules of the state where the Live Client Clinic is located, students obtain a third-year practice certificate with the assistance of the Career Services office. Certain placements may also have prerequisites or co-requisites, as specified by the Externship Director. Students must obtain prior permission from the Director to register for this course, and all placements must be approved in advance of the semester by the Director. |
| Credits: | 1 Pass/Fail credit available to the student for the Live Clinic placement. Hours worked by the student at the Live Clinic count toward community service hours, but do not count toward community service award consideration (i.e., Little Red Wagon Award). |
| Students Enrolled: | Any student enrolled in a practicum or seminar may seek a Live Client Clinic placement. |
| Supervision: | Externship Director; a Licensed Attorney Employed by the Live Clinic; and the Faculty Member Teaching the Practicum or Seminar course for site selection only. |
| Number of Sites: | Live Client Clinics are available to all students in good academic standing and enrolled in a practicum or seminar. |
| Site Limitations: | The placement must relate to the course in which the student is enrolled. Compliance with ASL’s minimum requirements for site placements, as well as ABA Standard 305 and U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheet #71 (April 2010). |
| Coursework: | Specific to each practicum or seminar and Live Clinic. |
| Prerequisites: | Compliance with Live Client Clinic placement procedures; Completion of First-Year Curriculum in Good Academic Standing. |
| Placement Hours: | Students work 10-12 hours per week at the Live Clinic. However, the number of hours may vary depending upon the student’s course load. |
| Other Requirements: | Weekly Time Sheets; Journals; Attendance in Related Practicum or Seminar. |
| Grade: | The grade would be pass/fail based on the evaluation of the Live Clinic Supervisor and the Externship Director. The grade will comply with Academic Standards IX (B)(1) and (3). |
For answers to FAQs click here.
If you have additional questions, contact Externships@asl.edu.