The Legal Clinic

Course Description

905 Advocacy Clinic (6) Supervised fieldwork requiring students to assume substantial responsibility for representing clients with various civil and criminal legal problems. Students will explore and begin to develop the fundamental professional skills involved in practicing law. Depending on case assignments, students will gain experience interviewing and counseling clients, negotiating with other attorneys, planning for transactions and dispute resolutions, initiating and defending claims, conducting factual investigations, and presenting evidence. Prereq: 920 and third-year standing.

Students handle a variety of cases including:

Housing: Cases most often involve defense of eviction action and/or unfit living conditions.

Unemployment: Students work with clients who have been denied benefits and requested an appeal. Students present the client's case in administrative hearings.

Criminal: All types of criminal cases are handled from DUI to murder, domestic violence, assault and burglary primarily in Knox County courts upon court appointment. Some federal cases are also handled.

Juvenile: The Clinic handles court-appointed delinquency cases in Knox County juvenile court.