Litigation Skills 511 Ia & 511 Ib
Students enroll in Class #50153(Catalog LAW #511 Ia) for three units. This course is graded.
For each clinical unit, a student must work 50 hours at the Law Center. Three units would be a total of 150 hours. The credits count toward the Public Interest and Social Justice Certificate. Please read the additional information below.
Students signing up for Litigation Skills 511 Ia above are encouraged – but not required – to sign up for 1-3 additional units of casework. Class #50154 (511 Ib).
The faculty have found that student experience is enhanced by taking at least 1 additional unit. Students will receive 1 unit for each additional 50 hours of casework. Any and all such units will be graded on a credit / no credit basis.
Litigation Skills 481 IIa & 481 IIb
Prerequisite for Litigation Skills II: (Course Litigation Skills #511 Ia)
Students wishing to take two units (100 hours) of advanced course work must register for Litigation Skills IIa #50155(481 IIa) This course is graded.
Instructors approval required. Limited enrollment. Certificate: Public Interest and Social Justice Law.
Students signing up for Litigation Skills IIa may sign up for 1-4 additional units of casework class #50156 (481 IIb). Students will receive 1 unit for each additional 50 hours of casework. Any and all such units will be graded on a credit / no credit basis.
PRACTICE AREAS
Consumer Law Program: Students handle cases involving auto fraud, unfair credit and debt collection practices, door-to-door and telemarketing sales abuses & other unfair business practices. Students generally have a caseload which includes both individual cases and one or more class action cases. Students enrolled sometimes assist at advice clinics where they counsel clients in all aspects of consumer law.
Workers Rights Law Program: Students represent low-wage workers seeking unpaid overtime and minimum wages, and unemployment benefits and other remedies in administrative agency hearings and in court. Students enrolled sometimes assist at advice clinics where they counsel clients on all employment matters.
Immigration Law Program: Students represent low-income clients with T-visas, U-visas, family petition cases. Students assist immigrant victims of domestic violence with self-petitions for lawful residency and assist abandoned immigrant children in obtaining residency. Students enrolled sometimes assist at advice clinics where they counsel clients in all aspects of immigration law.
REQUIRED SKILLS TRAINING: All students enrolled in the KGACLC course must attend an intensive skills training program usually held all day on the Saturday during the first week of the semester. During this intensive training, students study and practice client interviewing, consultation and advice, working with interpreters, and other lawyering skills necessary for representing clients. The intensive training also includes substantive training regarding employment, immigration, consumer, and debtor/creditor law. Following the intensive training, students are required to attend two 75-minute class sessions each week for most of the semester. The first of these weekly sessions is a lecture to help students develop lawyering skills in litigation and/or transactional matters. All students receive training in fact development, ethical considerations and negotiations. In addition, litigation students are trained in discovery and trial techniques; transactional students are trained in regulatory licenses, financial management and related business topics. The second of these weekly sessions is case review where students discuss issues arising from the cases they are handling with the rest of the class. Typical case review topics include resolving ethical dilemmas, counseling clients about sensitive or difficult matters, handling a difficult opposing attorney, and similar topics.
CREDIT: Students can earn from three to six clinical units for working at the KGACLC (one unit for each 50 hours of work). Three clinical units may be taken for letter grade. Clinical units are not categorized as Internship or Externship units. Therefore, in addition to the maximum of six units of clinical credit, students may earn additional units of credit from participating in Santa Clara’s Internship or Externship Programs. A student who has completed one semester of a clinical course like the KGACLC may take a subsequent semester of the same or different clinical course for up to six additional units if the faculty member teaching the course determines that (1) there is good academic reason for the additional clinical experience and (2) that the students progress in substantive courses will not be impaired. (See reference above regarding a possible Advanced Curriculum with a separate course number.) While not required, it is strongly suggested that during the students first semester at KGACLC, the students register for four or more units.
CERTIFICATION is recommended (but not required) for students working in the clinical programs, preferably before the beginning of the students’ clinical work so as to minimize case handling delays. Certified students are able to represent clients in the same capacity as would a lawyer, under the supervision of experienced practitioners.To be certified students must have completed or currently be enrolled in Civil Procedure and Evidence. Forms for certification are available in the Law Records Office or from the State Bars website. Forms should be completed and turned in to Law Student Student Services in Bannan 210
