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Rev. 1/7/16

Clinical Legal

Education

Program

Student

Handbook

Clinical Programs Website:

http://law.ggu.edu/clinics-and-centers/externships

Clinical Legal Education Program Student Handbook

Table of Contents

I. Educational Objectives & Structure of the Clinical Program

A. Objectives and Learning Outcomes p. 1

B. Overview of Clinical Opportunities p. 1

C. Note on Nomenclature p. 2

D. Educational Components of the Clinics p. 2

E. Approval of New Clinical Programs p. 3

II. Procedures & Policies: Enrollment & Course Credit

A. Eligibility p. 3

B. Course Credit p. 3

C. Grades p. 4

D. Finding a Placement p. 4

E. Application, Enrollment, and Registration p. 5

F. Repeating a Clinic p. 6

G. Prohibition on Compensation p. 6

H. Approval of Externships Outside the Bay Area p. 7

III. Descriptions & Prerequisites

A. In-House Law Firm Clinics p. 7

Environmental Law & Justice Clinic

Women’s Employment Rights Clinic

Veterans Legal Advocacy Center

B. Other In-House Clinical Programs p. 8

Pro-Bono Tax Clinic

Honors Lawyering Program Summer Law Firm

C. Externship Clinics p. 9

Externship: Advanced Legal Clinic

Externship: Capital Post-Conviction Defense Clinic

Externship: Civil Field Placement Clinic

Externship: Consumer Rights Clinic

Externship: Criminal Litigation Clinic

Externship: Environmental Law (LLM)

Externship: Family Law Clinic

Externship: Homeless Advocacy Clinic

Externship: Legal Services for Children

Externship: Real Estate Clinic

D. Judicial Externship Program

Judicial Externships (JD) p. 11

Judicial Externships (LLM)

E. Street Law Program p. 12

Appendix Application Forms

I. Educational Objectives & Structure of the Clinical Program

A. Objectives and Learning Outcomes

The Clinical Program at Golden Gate University School of Law encompasses both on-site legal clinics and

externship (or field placement) clinics. Through enrollment in one of our clinics, students earn course credit for

direct legal experience with clients, practicing lawyers, and/or judges in a supervised setting. Participation in this

program differs from paid legal work available to students, both in the level of supervision provided, as well as the

provision of classroom instruction in conjunction with the clinical experience. Instructors monitor the quality of the

clinical experience and ensure that the clinics are integrated with the other parts of the law school curriculum.

Clinics expose students to diverse legal assignments, with a level of responsibility not typically available to students.

The educational value of this program is enriched by the combined instruction and supervision by law school

faculty, individual instructors, and field supervisors.

The goal of our clinical programs is to better prepare students to practice law and to work effectively in a legal

setting. Students will also expand their legal network and develop confidence in their professional identity.

Upon completion of a clinic or externship course, students will be able to demonstrate:

1. A solid understanding of professional legal cultures and expectations;

2. The ability to identify and understand professional responsibility issues and professionalism values in the

context of a legal office setting;

3. Legal skills (specific to those used in their clinic or field-placement office);

4. The ability to apply legal skills in context, including legal research and writing, legal fact-finding, creative

problem-solving, and--depending upon the nature of their clinic or law firm/agency work--client

interviewing, client communication, oral advocacy skills etc.;

5. Improved time management skills; and

6. The ability to market their unique set of skills and perform professionally in job interviews.

B. Overview of Clinical Opportunities

1. On-Site Law Firm Clinics

The Environmental Law and Justice Clinic (ELJC) and The Women’s Employment Rights Clinic

(WERC) are law firm clinics which operate on school premises, with participating students performing

the bulk of their work in the clinic offices, under the supervision of full-time faculty.

2. Other On-Site Clinical Opportunities

The Pro-Bono Tax Clinic provides students with the opportunity to assist low-income individuals in

certain tax disputes before the California Board of Equalization (“BOE”).

3. The Honors Lawyering Program (HLP) Summer Law Firm trains HLP students to advocate for poor

clients. Supervised students advocate for clients in a variety of settings.

4. Externship Clinics

The law school offers a number of externship clinics in which enrolled students perform supervised

work at outside firms, companies, government agencies, or organizations.

5. Judicial Externship Program

Students work in selected judicial chambers under the supervision of a judge or research attorney.

6. Street Law

The law school collaborates with USF School of Law to offer students the opportunity to teach a 12-

week course in basic law and procedure to local high school students. Street Law students participate in

weekly seminars where they are trained in substantive law and are able to reflect on their high school

teaching experience.

C. Note on Nomenclature

Clinics are defined as courses in which students perform legal work and assist with cases under supervision of

licensed attorneys and professors. The term “clinic” thus refers both to the law school’s on-site clinics and to our

externship clinics. A “judicial externship” refers to working with the staff of a judge or court, where students assist

in performing the work of judicial law clerks or staff attorneys. Golden Gate follows the practice of most courts and

law schools, using the term “clerkship” or “judicial clerkship” to refer to a post-law school paid position, in which

qualified law graduates work for a particular judge or court for a year or two after graduating from law school.

Some law firms use the terms “clerkship,” “law clerk,” or “summer associate” to refer to a paid position, either full-

time during the summer or part-time while in law school. ABA standards prohibit awarding academic credit for

paid work.

D. Educational Components of the Clinics

Each clinic includes three educational facets: a carefully supervised practice experience; a classroom component;

and an evaluation or assessment process.

1. Externship Clinics: Practice Experience and Hours Required

Students must work a minimum of 45 hours per unit in each externship clinic. For example, a 3-unit

clinic requires 135 hours (approximately 10 hours of clinical work per week) during the 14-week

semester. Since the summer session is only 7 weeks long, the amount of time devoted each week to

summer clinical work would be greater. For example, the 135 hours required for a 3-unit summer clinic

would translate into approximately 20 hours of work per week. The hours spent in the classroom

component of an externship clinic do NOT count toward the requirement of 45 hours of work per unit.

2. Classroom Component

Each clinic includes a classroom component or seminar, meeting throughout the term. (In some clinics,

the classroom component may also be met by concurrent enrollment in a related seminar.) At the

instructor’s discretion, class meetings may be supplemented by individual sessions. All participating

students must enroll in the appropriate seminar or clinic course offered that semester in order to receive

academic credit for their work experience.

The classroom component is designed by the instructor and approved by the Curriculum Committee. It

designed to serve a variety of purposes. For example, it may serve as an advanced course in the

substantive areas of the law in which the student is working. It also serves as an opportunity for the

student’s “guided reflections,” per ABA standard 305(e)(7), to consider and discuss questions of justice

and broad legal issues raised by the legal work the student performs. All externship students are

required to write journal entries in which they reflect on their experiences in the field placement. The

seminar instructor responds to those journals individually. Class discussion may involve ethical issues

arising in the student's fieldwork, issues of gender, sex, or race bias in the context of the student’s

placement, or materials presented by guest lecturers. Readings from assigned texts or articles may be

required.

3. Evaluation Process

Students are asked to set goals and create a professional development plan for themselves at the

beginning of the semester. At the mid-semester point students must complete a self-evaluation and

review it with their supervising attorney. (The form contains space for supervisor comments.) At the

conclusion of the semester the supervising attorney fills out an evaluation of the student’s work and the

student is also required to fill out an evaluation of the placement.

E. Approval of New Clinical Programs

No clinical program may be instituted unless it has been approved in the manner prescribed by the faculty.

Ordinarily, a recommendation by the Curriculum Committee, followed by full faculty approval, is required for

instituting a new program or substantially altering an existing one. The law school will not accept for transfer any

credits from a law school clinical program that does not meet the standards adopted by the faculty.

II. Procedures & Policies

A. Student Eligibility

1. Judicial Externships

Students must have completed 3 terms of law school (including Evidence) and have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 for

state trial court and 2.75 for appellate and federal court externships. Students must have the requisite GPA at the time

of enrollment.

2. All Other Clinics

Students must have successfully completed one year of law school (30 units) to enroll in all non-judicial clinic

courses. Part-time students who have completed one year of law school and students on academic probation must

seek permission from the Dean or Director of Student Services to apply to a clinic. See individual course

descriptions for additional prerequisites.

B. Course Credits

1. Total Number of Clinic Units During Law School

No student may receive more than a total of 13 units during law school for any combination of clinic

courses. Courses that count toward this unit limitation include all on-site clinics, externship clinics, and

the Street Law course.

2. Number of clinic courses per semester.

A student may not enroll in more than one of clinical course per term, unless permission is granted by

the associate dean or director for student services. Permission will depend in part on whether the

student can verify that there is no conflict of interest between the student’s two clinical placements.

3. Clinic Units for On-Site Clinics (1 to 3 units per semester)

Students may enroll in either ELJC or WERC, the on-site law firm clinics, for 1-3 units. As a co-

requisite, both clinics require students to simultaneously enroll in the companion clinic seminar for 3

units: ELJC seminar (Law 834G); or the WERC seminar (Law 885S). The units for these

seminars do not count toward the maximum number of clinic units a student may earn during

law school.

4. Units for Externship Clinics

i. Part-time Externships: Students may enroll in externship clinics for 2-4 units per term, unless

otherwise noted. First-time externship students are encouraged to enroll for at least 3 units in order to

get the maximum benefit from their experience.

ii. Full-Time Externships: With the consent of the Externship Program Director students may enroll

in some externship clinics for up to 8 units in the summer and 13 units in fall or spring.

To be eligible for a full-time legal Externship, students must have:

• successfully completed 3 terms of law school, including Evidence,

• have a minimum GPA of 2.5 at the time of enrollment

• have secured a placement at an approved government agency or non-profit firm.

• provide a statement of educational objectives.

• agree to attend the clinic seminar (or an equivalent, in the case of placements away from the Bay

Area) and to meet all other course requirements, including journals and evaluations.

• obtain consent of the Director of Externship Programs

The externship clinics have specific requirements in addition to those set out in this Handbook. The

student is required, for example, to submit an agreement, signed by both the supervising attorney and

the student extern to the instructor for approval. Dates may be specified by the instructor for meeting

any additional requirements. Students should check the “Descriptions and Prerequisites” section of this

Handbook, below, to determine the placement requirements of the clinic in which they are interested.

C. Grades

Externship clinics are graded on a CR/NC basis. The Environmental Law & Justice Clinic and the Women’s

Employment Rights Clinic are graded with letter grades.

D. Finding a Placement and Applying for a Clinic

On-Site Clinics

ELJC, WERC, Pro-Bono Tax Clinic and the HLP Summer Law Firm: Students must apply, obtain consent of

instructor, and enroll in the clinic. For students in these clinics, the instructors also serve as the student's direct

supervising attorney(s).

Externship Clinics

Students are encouraged to help from Law Career Development (LCD) at (415) 442-6625 or the Director of

Externship Programs at (415) 442-6698, but apart from the Clinics listed in the next paragraph, students are

responsible for finding their own placements. To be considered for a slot in a clinic, students must both fill out an

application and enroll during registration

Clinics with placement included:

The Capital Post-Conviction Defense Clinic (a partnership with the California Appellate Project), the Consumer

Rights Clinic and Homeless Advocacy Clinic (both are partnerships with The Justice & Diversity Center of The Bar

Association of San Francisco’s Legal Services Program), Legal Services for Children, and Veterans Legal

Advocacy Center are clinics in which the placement is the agency with which the Law School is partnering. The

student must fill out an application and will be notified of acceptance. Acceptance into the clinic guarantees a

placement. Students must also register for the course through the Law Registrar as soon as their earliest registration

window opens. Students work under the direct supervision of the instructor and other agency attorneys and attend a

related seminar.

For judicial externships, regardless of the number of units a student seeks, he or she must have successfully completed 3

semesters of law school, including Evidence, and have a minimum GPA of 2.5 for state trial courts, and 2.75 for appellate or

federal courts.

Other Externship Clinics:

To find a placement for any of the below-listed clinics: Advanced Legal Clinic, Civil Field Placement, Criminal

Litigation, Family Law, Legal Clinic, or Real Estate Clinic.

1. visit http://law.ggu.edu/clinics-and-centers/externships

2. click your mouse on “Externship Documents”

3. click your mouse on “How to Find and Secure a Placement”

4. at any time after you have applied for an externship, complete an application (also found under “Externship

Documents”)

5. You are required to have secured an approved placement by the first day of the externship class.

Three ways to find a placement through LCDonline:

METHOD A – Search current job listings by

“Type”

Go to https://law‐ggu‐csm.symplicity.com/students/

2. Log in

‐

if you are missing your username or password, contact LCD at lawcareer@ggu.edu or (415)

442

‐

6625

3. In the menu bar, click on “View Job Listings”

4. Recommended filter: Search by “Type” and choose the semester for which you wish to work for academic

credit. Your search results will include those employers looking for applicants during that same semester you

searched.

5. HINT: Add a filter for “Compensation Type” to narrow down the jobs that are designated as unpaid.

METHOD B – Search current job listings by Keyword

1. Follow steps 1‐2 in Method A above

2. In the menu bar, click on “View Job Listings”

3. Enter in the “keyword” box words such as “credit,” “volunteer,” or “unpaid” and click “search” to find

employers with current job openings; likely those employers are willing to be a supervising attorney for your

externship if they won’t pay.

METHOD C – Search current job listings by Employer

1. Follow steps 1‐2 in Method A above

2. In the menu bar, click on “Browse Employers”

3. Under “Practice Area & Clinics” dropdown, select the field placement clinic for which you need a placement

and click “Search”

4. You will see a list of potential employers where students have previously worked as an extern earning academic

credit. NOTE: Just because the employer is not listing any job openings, it does not mean that they do not have

openings for externs. Contact the employer to find out if they are accepting students for academic credit for the

upcoming semester.

E. Application, Enrollment & Registration

In-house clinics publish their application procedures in Law School News and in the course scheduling notes. For

all externship clinics, students must submit an application form and a resume to the relevant instructor or faculty

assistant. Application forms for the Judicial Externship and Externship clinics may be found at the end of this

Handbook and on the Registrar’s forms page. The student must enroll at the earliest window of registration

available to them for a clinic course to be assured a spot. Registration deadlines are the same as for any other course.

Even though the Director of the Externship Program must approve placements, students should enroll in the course

in a timely fashion, pending approval. Register for the course online or through the Law Registrar. Permission is

required for students seeking four or more credits for non-Judicial courses and for students working for an employer

outside of the immediate Bay Area with a commute of more than 3 hours into campus.

F. Repeating a Clinic

1. In-house law firm clinics ELJC, WERC, VLAC: Students may repeat either ELJC or WERC clinics for

1-3 units, with the consent of the instructor. Continuing students do not repeat the seminar portion but

may be required to attend case discussions.

2. Pro-Bono Tax Clinic: consent of instructor is required to repeat this clinic.

3. Honors Lawyering Program Summer Law Firm: Restricted to HLP students and may not be repeated.

4. Externship clinics (including Judicial Externships): Rather than repeat a the civil or criminal litigation

clinic, Advanced Legal Clinic is open to students who wish to continue to extern in the same field of

law and have already taken the relevant externship clinic. These students must have permission from

the Director of Externship Programs to enroll in Advanced Legal Clinic, which is offered during Fall

and Spring semesters. Alternatively, with the consent of the instructor, students may repeat enrollment

in their original clinic if they prefer.

5. Street Law: Students may only enroll in this course once.

G. Prohibition on Compensation

ABA standards prohibit awarding academic credit for paid work. In limited circumstances, students may receive

reimbursement for work-related out-of-pocket expenses, depending on the policy of the clinic or placements. Note

that the prohibition on compensation includes work-study, public interest work-study, Public Interest Law

Foundation grants, and Equal Justice Works grants. Any questions about this rule should be directed to the Director

of Externship Programs.

Under limited circumstances, described below, students may seek approval from the Director of Externship

Programs to accelerate the externship experience and end it before the end of the semester, in order to take

advantage of an offer for paid employment at the same workplace.

The opportunity to accept paid employment at the same workplace is only available under the following

circumstances:

1. The student must have worked at the externship for at least 10 weeks during a fall or spring semester or 7

weeks during a summer term.

2. The student must have completed all course requirements within the above timeframe, including hours,

research and writing assignments, journals, evaluations and class attendance. Note: under no circumstances

are students permitted to split a week and work some days for credit and some for pay: the clinic work hours

must all be completed first.

3. The supervising attorney must provide written acknowledgement that the student has completed hours and

work assignments.

4. Approval must be granted by the Director of Externship Programs.

H. Approval for Externships Away From the Bay Area

Any student who seeks to earn academic credit for work performed in a court, government agency, NGO, or non-

profit legal agency (or firm) outside of the Bay Area, must obtain prior approval of the Director of Externship

Programs. Approval placements outside the United States will not be given if a U.S. Department of State Travel

Warning is in effect for that country. See: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html.

III. Descriptions & Prerequisites

A. In-House Law Firm Clinics

Environmental Law & Justice Clinic (Law 834C, 1-3 units)

The Clinic focuses on addressing environmental justice issues by assisting low-income communities and people of

color who are disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens, and working on policy matters to remediate

instances of environmental injustice. Students work on real environmental cases that serve these communities by

interviewing clients, developing case strategies, drafting legal documents, conducting discovery, and making

presentations at proceedings. Students must be certified by the State Bar of California and have completed or

concurrent enrolled in Evidence. Students should also have completed an environmental law course or have the

permission of the instructor. Special scheduling arrangements are made on a case-by-case basis for night students.

Students are required to devote 10.5-17 hours per week to clinic work, for which the student will receive 1-3 units of

academic credit. Students must also enroll in the Environmental Law & Justice Seminar (Law 834G, 3 units).

Students who wish to enroll in the Clinic should submit a letter and resume to Professors Helen Kang and Deborah

Behles by the deadline date published in the course schedule. Later applications will be considered if space permits.

ELJC offices are located at 40 Jessie Street, 5

floor. See announcements in Law School News for additional

application instructions.

Term: This course is generally offered every fall and spring. Continuing students may enroll for the summer

term.

Prerequisites: Evidence (or concurrent enrollment). Recommended: Environmental Law and Policy (or

concurrent enrollment).

Women’s Employment Rights Clinic (Law 885B, 1-3 units)

WERC students handle real cases, representing low-income workers in various types of employment disputes,

including unpaid wages, unemployment insurance appeals, family and medical leave, and many types of

discrimination claims (sex, race, sexual harassment, disability, pregnancy, and national origin/language

discrimination). Students assist many individual clients during the semester and may also have the opportunity to

work with a team on complex litigation.

Students are required to devote 10, 12.5 or 15 hours per week to clinic work, for which students receive 1, 2, or 3

units of academic credit, respectively. Students must also enroll in the Women's Employment Rights Seminar

(Law 885S, 3 units), a class that meets twice weekly and combines skills training and substantive employment law

topics. Whenever possible, special scheduling arrangements are made on a case-by-case basis for night students

who want to participate in the clinic.

WERC provides an excellent opportunity for any students interested in getting hands-on client experience and for

those interested in working with low-income clients from diverse backgrounds Students with fluency in Spanish or

Cantonese often have the opportunity to work with non-English speaking clients.

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to Professors Brittany Glidden and Hina Shah by the deadline

date published in the course schedule. Later applications will be considered if space permits. WERC offices are

located at 40 Jessie Street, 5

floor.

See announcements in Law School News for additional application instructions.

Term: This course is offered every fall and spring.

Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of all first year courses and Evidence. Students may also apply if

concurrently enrolled in Evidence.

Veterans Legal Advocacy Center (Law 776C, 2-4 units)

Students in this multi-disciplinary clinic will learn veterans disability law and procedure and will aid military

veterans in the filing, adjudication, and appeal of their disability claims with the Veterans Administration. Students

will engage in client interviews and factual investigations, draft and submit motions and briefs, and advocate for

their client both in writing, and, possibly, in person before administrative boards and the Court of Appeals for

Veterans Claims. Students will also work on military discharge upgrade applications, on administrative appeal and

in U.S. District Court, including other-than-honorable discharges of service members discharged under the military’s

repealed “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and those who have suffered military sexual assault and undiagnosed PTSD.

This course counts toward completion of the Experiential Learning Requirement. Application form and consent of

instructor required.

Term: Offered in the fall and spring terms. This course counts toward completion of the Experiential

Learning Requirement. Application form and consent of instructor required. Co-requisite: LAW 776D

Veterans Legal Advocacy Seminar.

B. Other In-House Clinical Programs

Pro Bono Tax Clinic (LLM 306, 1-2 units)

The Pro Bono Tax Clinic provides students with the opportunity to assist low-income individuals in certain tax

disputes before the California Board of Equalization (“BOE”). Under the direct supervision of a BOE attorney, the

students provide legal assistance to taxpayers with claims involving Renter’s Assistance Credits, California

residency issues, and Head of Household status, among other issues. The students meet regularly with a BOE

attorney on campus who instructs them in the relevant law and assists them in the development of their clients’

factual and legal arguments. The students draft procedural letters, legal memoranda and briefs that are submitted to

the BOE. Students may also have the opportunity to argue the client’s case at a BOE hearing. This course is graded

Credit/No Credit.

Term: This course is generally offered every term. Prerequisites: Federal Income Tax or Tax

Characterization (Offered through the LLM in Taxation Program.) JD students seeking to enroll must

obtain the approval of the program director.

Honors Lawyering Program (HLP) Summer Law Firm (HLP Skills Lab, Law 809B, 2 units)

Under the direct supervision of practicing attorneys, students provide housing law advocacy for clients from local

non-profit agencies, including the AIDS Legal Referral Panel, the Homeless Advocacy Project, and/or the

Tenderloin Housing Clinic. Students may conduct investigation, draft demand letters, negotiate settlements, and

represent clients in court.

Term: Summer Prerequisites: Restricted to students in the Honors Lawyering Program (HLP).

C. Externship Clinics

Full course descriptions may be found in the Student Handbook and on the Registrar’s website:

http://law.ggu.edu/academics/course-offerings/course-schedule/. Students must have completed one full year of law

school. Enrollment in all externship clinic courses requires instructor approval. The Course Schedule for each

term provides instructor contact information.

Externship: Advanced Legal Clinic (Law 896M, 2-4 units)

Open to students who have completed one or more Externship clinics in prior semesters and who wish to work

again in the same field of law. The class will meet four times during the semester. Must have Externship Program

Director’s permission to enroll.

Term: Fall and Spring Prerequisites: Prior externship course in Externship: Civil (if you are continuing to

do civil practice work) or Externship: Criminal Litigation (if you are continuing to do criminal practice

work).

Externship: Capital Post-Conviction Defense Clinic (Law 896J, 3-4 units)

The Capital Post-Conviction Defense Clinic introduces students to the representation of indigent defendants

challenging their convictions and death sentences on direct appeal and through habeas corpus proceedings in the

California Supreme Court. Clinic students attend a mandatory weekly seminar and work on capital cases at the

California Appellate Project, a non-profit legal resource corporation serving the largest population of condemned

individuals in the country. Students assist private counsel appointed to represent indigent death row inmates with the

research and drafting of pleadings, the investigation of claims, and by collecting and preserving evidence for their

post-conviction claims. CAP is at 101 2nd St., Ste. 600. The seminar topics, reading materials, and class discussion

serve as background to the tasks that students perform at CAP. These tasks may include: collection of life history

documents; preparation of litigation outlines and chronologies; review of trial testimony, witness statements, and

police reports for discrepancies; evaluation of crime scene evidence; researching and drafting of office memoranda

and resource materials on various topics for panel attorneys; and drafting of appellate arguments and habeas corpus

claims. In addition, CAP student externs are encouraged to attend oral arguments, participate in litigation meetings,

and visit a client on death row. Limited to 10 students. Consent of instructor required.

Prerequisites: Evidence.

Externship: Civil Field Placement Clinic (Law 896A, 2-4 units)

Students find placements, or work with the instructors to locate appropriate placements, in private or non-profit law

offices, government agencies, or business legal departments as law clerks, working on civil litigation or engaging in

transactional work. Students may work in a wide variety of areas such as civil rights, corporate law, entertainment

law, family law, intellectual property law, international law, and personal injury law.

The Civil Field Placement Clinic is offered for 2-4 units. The seminar will meet at least seven times per semester, or

5 times in the summer session. The purpose of the seminar is to provide an opportunity for reflection and learning

from other students to strengthen the placement experience. Students are required to complete timesheets and

answer journal questions. Attendance at the seminar and the placement is mandatory. Students must register,

submit the Externship Clinic Application form, and include a current resume. Students should contact one of the

instructors as early as possible to inform them of their placements or to discuss a plan for finding an appropriate

placement. Students who seek placements that are within the jurisdiction of other clinics will be referred to those

clinics.

Terms: This course generally is offered every term. Prerequisites: Some placements may have specific

prerequisites, e.g. Business Associations, Evidence, or Family Law.

Externship: Consumer Rights Clinic (Law 896R, 2-3 units)

The CRC is a partnership with the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Volunteer Legal Services Program at the

BASF offices, a few blocks from the Law School, at 301 Battery Street, SF. Students learn interviewing and

counseling skills, as well as substantive consumer law, and assist attorneys in providing advice, counseling and

limited legal representation, including drafting letters and basic pleadings such as answers and claims of exemption.

Clinic clients face debt collection lawsuits and related issues. With instructor approval, students seeking a third unit,

and certified by the State Bar, may be able to perform additional limited client representation, such as drafting and

arguing motions in court. (Priority registration for Evening Part-Time students).

Terms: This course generally is offered every spring. Prerequisites: None

Externship: Criminal Litigation Clinic (Law 896F, 2-4 units)

Students work in approved placements in a variety of state or federal criminal justice agencies including trial-level

public defender or prosecution offices; appellate defenders or prosecutors; and a variety of other post-conviction

programs.

Students must contact the instructor at least four to six weeks before the term begins. For summer, students should

apply as early as February 15

. Each of the approved placement offices has a person designated as the ‘coordinator

of student volunteers.’ The student is responsible for contacting the coordinator to see if a placement is available and

to learn about the requirements (e.g., the minimum number of hours that the employer requires to be worked each

week). Initial contact may be by phone or email, followed by a confirming letter and a resume. Some agencies also

require a writing sample. The cover letter should include the information that the student has, or will have,

completed Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Evidence before the term begins for which the clinic placement

is sought.

Litigation Certificate credit will be given for this clinic only if the student appears in federal court on the petty

offense calendar or is certified by the State Bar Practical Training of Law Students Program. Certification

application forms can be obtained from from the website of the California State Bar at

http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Education/LegalEducation/PracticalTrainingofLawStudentsProgram.aspx.

Registering at the State Bar Office in San Francisco in person offers a quicker turnaround for receiving certification.

Terms: This course generally is offered every term. Prerequisites: Criminal Law and Evidence (except for

summer semesters). Recommended: Criminal Procedure, Trial Advocacy and Criminal Litigation.

Externship: Environmental LLM Externship (LLM 375E, 1-4 units)

This class is for LLM Environmental students who wish to do an externship at an organization, agency or firm

engaged in environmental law. This course is graded on a Credit/No Credit basis.

Terms: This course generally is offered every term. Prerequisites: Environmental Law Clinic or permission

of the LLM Environmental Law Program Director.

Externship: Family Law Clinic (Law 837D 2-4 units)

This externship clinic is designed to address an underserved population: low-income people with family law

problems. Students obtain placements with practicing lawyers specializing in Family Law, or with non-profit

organizations or government agencies, to handle Family Law cases at all stages. The seminar will cover all aspects

of family law practice and related issues.

Term: Fall Prerequisites: Community Property, Family Law, or Family Law Practice (or be enrolled in one

of the courses contemporaneously or by consent of instructor).

Externship: Homeless Advocacy Clinic (Law 824D, 3 units)

Since 1995, GGU students have had the unique opportunity to learn interviewing, counseling and negotiation skills

while supervised by faculty members and experienced lawyers at the Bar Association’s Homeless Advocacy Project

(HAP). Students undergo an intensive training, conduct simulated interviewing and counseling sessions in class, and

then meet at HAP’s nearby Mission Street offices with poor people seeking access to legal help. At these ‘clinics’ (3

or 4 spaced throughout the semester,) students interview clients, identify legal and quasi-legal problems, and consult

with their instructor and the HAP staff (lawyers, psychologists, and social workers) to develop solutions. In the class

following each clinic, students present counseling plans for their clients to the group. Students advocate for clients in

various ways: providing assistance in navigating through various bureaucratic waters; conducting negotiation via

phone and letter writing; and, sometimes, appearing with a client at hearings. HLP students may not enroll in this

course. Term: This course generally is offered every spring. Prerequisites: None.

Externship: Legal Services for Children (Law 896K, 13 units)

Students will learn lawyering skills, substantive legal knowledge, and training in non-legal areas to prepare them to

be attorneys for children and other vulnerable populations. The course consists of a seminar and a supervised

practicum, both of which will be held at the nearby office of Legal Services for Children (LSC). Students will also

assist on LSC policy/advocacy projects. Students will improve their skills in interviewing, issue spotting, case

presentation and trial techniques, become familiar with administrative hearings, state court hearings, and federal

immigration proceedings. Although the work will focus on lawyering for children and youth, the skills and non-legal

trainings will be relevant for any student with an interest in pursuing a career in public interest. Mininum of 25-30

hours a week for 13 units. Priority given to students who can work more hours. Limited to 4 students. Consent of

Director Glidden required. This course is graded on a Credit/No Credit basis.

Term: This course is offered in fall. Prerequisites: None

Externship: Real Estate Clinic (Law 883, 2-4 units)

Students may seek help from Law Career Development (LCD) to find an approved placement. Students may

propose their own placement for which they may seek instructor approval. Students will work with real estate

attorneys and work in their offices under direct supervision. (Students may enroll in the Real Estate Practice -

Transactions or Real Estate Practice - Litigation courses without enrolling in the clinic.)

Prerequisites: Property (or consent of instructor). Co-requisites (same term): Real Estate Practice -

Transactions Seminar OR Real Estate Practice - Litigation Seminar.

D. Judicial Externships

Externships: Judicial (Law 896C, 2-13 units)

Students work in federal, state, and administrative courts under the supervision of a judge or judicial law clerk. A

full-time externship can require up to 13 units; most students take 3-5 units at a time. Students who enroll in this

course in a summer session are limited to 8 units of credit.

Term: This course generally is offered every term. Prerequisites: Students must have completed 3 terms of

law school, have completed or be concurrently enrolled in Evidence, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 for

state trial court and 2.75 for appellate and federal court externships. Students must have the requisite GPA

at the time of enrollment.

Externships: Judicial Externship LLM (LLM 393, 3 units)

This is a competitive placement as an unpaid law clerk with the Probate Department of the California Superior Court

of Alameda County. Selected students will work directly with the probate judge, probate examiners, court

investigators, and courtroom staff on pending estate, trust, and conservatorship cases. The externs will get hands-on

Probate Court experience from the judicial perspective. The course provides invaluable insight for future estate

planners. This course is graded on a Credit/No Credit basis.

Prerequisites: Federal Tax Procedure; Estate and Gift Taxation; Estate Planning; Probate Procedure and

Litigation. Enrollment in this course requires the permission of the program director of the LLM in

Taxation Program.

E. Street Law

Street Law (Law 886, 3 units)

Each student teaches a 12-week course in basic housing law, family law, consumer law, constitutional law, and

criminal law and procedure to local high school students. Students prepare in teacher-training sessions held prior to

the teaching assignments and follow up with weekly seminars in substantive areas of the law. This course is counted

towards the 13 unit limit on clinical units. Street Law is a collaboration with the University of San Francisco School

of Law, with classes meeting at their campus. This course requires a significant time commitment.

Prerequisites: None.

Externship: Judicial - Application

You may enroll in only one clinic per term. You must have secured a judicial externship prior to

enrollment in the course. Please complete this form and submit it before you enroll in course

LAW 896C Externship: Judicial.

Student Name:_____________________________________________________________________________

Email:

____________________________________________

Phone Number

_________________________

Briefly list any work, school, or community experience and/or skills relevant to the judicial externship:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

If you have enrolled in any other clinics or externships during law school, please list name of course, semester

enrolled, and number of units earned:

Clinic/Externship Semester and Year # of Units

Please state date of expected graduation: _________________

Please state number of units completed by the time you expect to begin the Judicial Externship (requires

completion of 3 full terms of law school; note that Evidence is a pre- or co-requisite):________________

Please enter the full name of the court, the supervising judge & supervising court clerk, the address and the

phone number:

Court Name:________________________________________ Name of Judge:_______________________

Name of Supervising Court Clerk: ______________________________________________________________

Clerk Email: _______________________________ Judge’s Email: ___________________________________

Phone Number of Clerk: ______________________________ Phone Number of Judge____________________

Court’s Street Address, City, State, Zip: __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

I understand that the instructor has the discretion to make final selections for each semester’s enrollment. I

confirm that I will attend the class meetings. (See Scheduling Notes on Course Schedule for exact dates.)

_____________________________________________ _______________________________

(type or sign your name) Signature of Applicant Date (MM/DD/YYYY)

Please submit application by email to externships@ggu.edu. Or you may drop off the application at

536 Mission St., Ste. 2333, Room 2345; phone (415) 442-6698; or fax: (415) 543-6680.

Number of units requested:_____

Semester and year:_____________________

Please state your current Grade Point Average (2.5 required for state trial court; 2.75 required for appellate or

federal court:_______________________

Please return this application and a current resume by emailing it

to externships@ggu.edu; 536 Mission St., Ste. 2333, Room 2345

phone: (415) 442-6698; fax: (415) 543-6680

Externship Application

Externship Clinic:

Student Name:

Telephone:

How many law school units will you have earned by the start of the semester?*:

For how many units do you wish to earn for this externship course?*:

*Students may enroll in 2-4 units per term, for a maximum of 13 units. First time students are encouraged to register for at least 3 units. Most

externships require that you work 45 hours/unit for a minimum of 12 weeks during fall or spring terms or 8 weeks during the summer term.

Please refer to the Clinical Legal Education Student Handbook at http://law.ggu.edu/clinics-and-centers/externships for more information.

Check if you have applied to an externship placement.

Check if you have been accepted to an externship placement.

Supervising Attorney:

Organization Name:

Organization Address:

Supervising Attorney Phone#:

Email Address:

Please indicate your practice area(s) of interest:

Please list any courses that you have taken that are relevant to your placement interest:

Course(s) Semester and Year Instructor Name(s)

Please indicate any other GGU Law Clinics or Externship Clinics you have taken:

Clinic/Externship Semester and Year # of Units

I understand that the instructor has the

discretion to make final selections for each

externship. Please type or sign your name:

Year/Term:

Email:

If you have a placement or have applied, please

complete the following information about the

employer. If you have not applied or have not been

accepted with a placement, please meet with a Law

Career Counselor.

Title:

Fax#:

Date

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