- Photo By Roberta M. Gubbins
Elan Stavros Nichols, assistant clinical professor of law, Housing Law Clinic, stands before the new Michigan State University College of Law Legal Clinic building in East Lansing.
By Roberta M. Gubbins
Legal News
The legal clinics at Michigan State University College of Law assist the community while preparing students for the practice of law.
The clinics began in the late 1990’s with the Rental Housing Clinic (as it was formerly named) and MSU’s Chance at Childhood Clinic.
Now the Legal Clinic program offers eight clinics in diverse areas of practice all housed in one building located in East Lansing. Michelle Halloran, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of Clinical Programs & Tax Clinic, when asked how clinics come to exist, noted that there is no one specific way.
“Our Plea and Sentencing Clinic was created at the request of some first year law students who wanted criminal law experience,” she said.
The new Civil Rights Clinic, which will begin in the fall, “is at the request of the Federal Judges in the Western District” who saw a need for representation of Michigan prisoners, Halloran said.
The Immigration Law Clinic is a response to increased demand for information and assistance from the community.
It provides individual representation as well as community outreach and education.
“Legal clinics,” said Elan Stavros Nichols, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, Housing Law Clinic, “exist because poor and middle class clients can’t afford to hire a lawyer and law students want legal experience. The clinics are an excellent way to gain that experience.”
Clinical legal education uses a skills based approach. Students meet with real clients with real problems. Under the supervision of an attorney, the student investigates the case facts, conducts research, develops trial strategies if needed, mediates, negotiates and writes briefs for filing with the courts.
While each clinic may have special needs based on its mission, the skills acquired by the students can be used when they become lawyers.
Although there has been some ‘push-back’ to legal clinics by state legislators, local business leaders or others to avoid potentially controversial cases across the country, that has not been the case at MSU legal clinics.
“We are seen as providing a service to the community,” Halloran said.
The impact students can have on clients and the community increases as the roster of clinical offerings grows.
The clinics, each with its own dedicated director/clinical professor, currently available include:
• Housing Law Clinic — provides services ranging from educational information to courtroom representation to low income tenants and landlords including review of housing leases, representing tenants in rental
property lease disputes and assisting with tenant problems such as foreclosure, fair housing, and subsidized housing.
• Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic — offers no cost legal services to low-income taxpayers who are in controversy with the Internal Revenue Service and educational services to those for whom English is a second language.
• Immigration Law Clinic — The Immigration Law Clinic engages students with immigrant communities through direct client representation and systemic advocacy for vulnerable populations that are otherwise unable to obtain legal representation.
The clinic takes on a diverse range of cases, with attention to pedagogical concerns, community need, and impact.
• Chance at Childhood Clinic- — Child and Family Advocacy Certificate Program is a joint program at Michigan State University offered by Michigan State University College of Law and the MSU Graduate School of Social Work.
It is designed to strengthen the knowledge base, practice and advocacy skills of masters-level social work students and law students interested in working with abused, neglected and at-risk children and families.
Students must complete an externship/field placement in a setting in which both lawyers and social workers work with clients such as family/juvenile courts.
• Plea & Sentencing Clinic — This clinic is collaboration with the State Appellate Defender Office (”SADO”). SADO is appointed to represent indigent criminal defendants on appeal.
One division deals with convictions and sentences resulting from trials, and one division, the plea unit, deals with convictions and sentences resulting from guilty or no contest pleas.
This clinic will address plea cases.
• Small Business & Nonprofit Law Clinic — The goal of the clinic to offer legal business counsel and services that enables the entrepreneur to run his or her business successfully.
It offers business formation and development assistance, assessment of risk/liability, opinions on code compliance and financial accounting and reporting standards. Students at the clinic also review, prepare, and negotiate necessary legal documents.
• First Amendment Law Clinic — offers education and advice to Michigan high school journalism students on censorship and privacy issues, as well as copyright and libel matters involving Facebook and Internet postings.
Clinicians also provide pro bono legal representation to high school and community college journalists whose free speech rights are challenged.
• Civil Rights Clinic Launching Fall 2011 — Students in this clinic will represent civil rights litigants in federal court, with a focus on assisting prisoners incarcerated in Michigan prisons.
Cases will require students to investigate case facts, perform research, develop and effectuate trial strategies, engage in all aspects of trial, participate in any necessary discovery and motion practice, and prepare relevant briefs for filing with the Court.
The number of students involved in clinical education can vary from 60 to 80.
“In Housing,” Nichols said, “there are 15 to 25 involved in two sections, beginning and advanced. Each clinic is slightly different in its requirements.”
“Most have an application process,” she noted. “Historically, it was first come, first served, but now we can base acceptance on qualifications. The students must have completed their first year of law school and can work in the summer of their first year.”
The legal clinic’s new building provides twice the square footage of its former location, while featuring two classrooms, seven client intake rooms, a supervised visitation room, and a Sparty-themed waiting area for children.
Conveniently located near downtown East Lansing with easy access to a bus line and free parking, the clinic is more accessible to the public.
The clinic’s commitment to service also is expanding to include clients who can’t come to them.
Last fall, MSU College of Law purchased a used library bookmobile, which clinicians will take on the road to provide mobile legal services to the state’s migrant worker camps and rural regions.
The MSU College of Law Legal Clinic provides a high-energy, small law firm environment in which students apply their knowledge of the substantive law to real-life situations under the guidance and supervision of licensed attorneys.
While discovering their niche in the field of law, student clinicians provide an important service for the betterment of the community.
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
