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In-House Practice AreasTogether the eight in-house programs of the Law Offices constitute one of the largest in-house clinical programs in the United States. They handle more than one thousand cases annually, while providing challenging internships for the students, each of whom is closely supervised by one of the teaching attorneys. For most of the in-house programs, students are given the option of enrolling for three or four credits. Students who enroll for four credits put in a minimum of 16 hours per week and students who enroll for three credits put in a minimum of 12 hours per week during the 14 week fall and spring semesters. During the summer semester, students who enroll for three credits put in a minimum of 24 hours per week and 32 hours per week for fourcredits. In the Intellectual Property program, students enroll for three credits. Each of the in-house clinical programs provide classroom as well as field-work instruction to the students enrolled in that program as part of their weekly hourly requirement. With permission, students may enroll for a second semester in each of the in-house programs with the exception of the Mediation Program. The In-House Practice Areas are divided into the following sections: Students who intern in the Employment Discrimination/Civil Rights Litigation with some General Practice Program work on employment discrimination disputes and civil rights cases in the federal and state courts and at administrative agencies; the work also includes some general civil practice. A unique feature of this Program and the Criminal Defense Litigation Program is their fee-generating practice which enables their student interns to receive their clinical practice experience in non-poverty as well as poverty cases and have the opportunity to work in a realistic practice environment. Students who intern in the Criminal Defense Litigation Program work on criminal defense matters in the trial and appellate courts in both the federal and state legal systems. The program represents clients accused of felonies and misdemeanors of all types. Students enrolled in the Health & Disability Law Clinic will have the opportunity to work on a variety of compelling disability and health related cases/issues. The clinic represents adults and children with various medical impairments, including diabetes and autism, in cases that typically involve issues such as: disability discrimination in schools; discrimination in employment; vaccine-related injuries; Social Security disability benefits; and benefit denials by private insurance companies. Students will experience what it’s like to use their legal skills, intelligence and passion to advocate for disadvantaged individuals against government bureaucracies and corporate interests.
The newly established Immigration Law Clinic represents individuals and organizations in all areas of immigration law, including professionals, aliens of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts and business, individuals seeking immigration benefits for family members, asylees and individuals threatened with removal from the United States by the government. The Family Law Clinic is designed to give a real-world experience, hands-on practice, and a basic level of comfort in the practice of Family Law. Participating students will have the practical experience of interviewing office clients, of using the interview to determine what pleadings should be drafted and filed, of drafting those pleadings and of using effective negotiation and trial strategies under the supervision of the supervising attorney. Students who intern in the Mediation & Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program engage in training and practice in mediation, arbitration and other ADR techniques. As part of the program, students participate in an interactive training process which enables them to develop and apply the necessary skills required for successful mediation practice. Upon successful completion of the formal training process, students become certified mediators. After certification, students independently conduct "real world" mediations at various county courthouses as well as at the Center for Conflict Resolution. Typical cases include juvenile court cases, criminal misdemeanor cases, employment discrimination cases, landlord-tenant disputes, and various tort and contract matters. Students routinely interact with judges and attorneys, as well as the parties involved in the litigation. This highly regarded mediation certification is a valuable tool in future legal and ADR practice. Students also assist the clinical professor in arbitrating cases and drafting arbitration opinions. Arbitrations are conducted at the Better Business Bureau, the Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Center, the National Association for Securities Dealers ("NASD") and U.S. Steel. Students who intern in the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic provide free assistance to impoverished clients in connection with a wide variety of federal tax disputes. Students have primary responsibility for advising and representing taxpayers who are battling the Internal Revenue Service and who are in the midst of ongoing civil examinations, administrative appeals, and enforced collection actions. Students also work closely with the supervising professor to prepare and try cases before the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. District Court. Typical issues include proving entitlement to the Earned Income Tax Credit, establishing status as an Innocent Spouse, substantiating business or personal deductions claimed on tax returns, seeking relief from various civil penalties, and stopping the IRS from seizing a client's wages or other assets. A unique feature of the in-house clinical program in the Civil and Criminal Divisions is its fee-generating practice which enables the Law Offices to be staffed with outstanding clinical teachers who are also first-rate experienced practitioners. Chicago-Kent students are thus able to receive clinical practice experience in non-poverty fields of law and have the opportunity to work in a realistic environment. |
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