| Q. |
I do not intend to specialize,
perhaps even in a limited fashion, in the areas of practice
covered in any of the clinics. Will Clinic be useful to me? |
| A. |
Yes. The Clinic teaches lawyering skills
that are transferable to other areas of the law. If you
know that you want to represent clients -- any clients --
the Clinic will provide you with the tools that will help
you long after your graduate.
|
| Q. |
I don't know if I want to be
a litigator. Can I benefit from the Clinic? |
| A. |
The Clinic experience may help
you clarify your career goals and interests. It is possible
you will decide that litigation is not for you. Or you may
find it the most exhilarating experience of your professional
life. Either way, you won't know until you try, and it's much
harder in practice to find a job that lets you try out litigation
to see if you like it. |
| Q. |
Are there any pre-requisites? |
| A. |
Trial Practice is the only pre-requisite. |
| Q. |
Can't I get the same experience
if I take Trial Practice instead of clinic? |
| A. |
Trial Practice is a very valuable
course and many students take it. Trial Practice will not,
however, give you the opportunity to learn from your interactions
with clients or from the significant responsibility of handling
real cases under close supervision. Also, Trial Practice does
not afford the opportunity to work with real facts, the grist
of a lawyer's work. |
| Q. |
How many hours will I spend on
clinic work? |
| A. |
You should plan to spend an average
of 15 hours a week, including time in class in the Advocacy
Clinic. The pace of clinic work varies. You will work more
hours before a hearing, trial, or filing date than during
other periods. |
| Q. |
Are there any limitations on
my class schedule if I participate in the Clinic? |
| A. |
No. Students should be aware
that almost all court hearings are scheduled for 9:00 a.m.
so that conflicts may occur with early morning classes. |
| Q. |
Can I have a job and be in the
Clinic at the same time? |
| A. |
Yes. Many students have successfully
done both. Your employment must be flexible enough to accommodate
those times when casework is most demanding or you have a
matter scheduled in court. Your responsibility to your clients
must take precedence over your job. Your employer should expect
this and should not object provided you reach an understanding
with him or her in advance. |
| Q. |
Can I fulfill my expository writing
requirement in the Clinic? |
| A. |
Yes. The student has the option
to write a research paper in conjunction with his or her work
in the Advocacy Clinic. |
| Q. |
Will I get to see cases through
from start to finish? |
| A. |
The Clinic tailors its case selection
process so that students are more likely to follow cases from
the initial interview to the final disposition. Our goal is
to have you assume full responsibility for your cases. |
| Q.
|
Will I get to go to court? |
| A. |
The faculty strive to ensure
adversarial hearings for all students. Some hearings occur
in administrative settings as opposed to the courtroom. |
| Q. |
Can second year students take
Clinic? |
| A. |
The Advocacy Clinic is open only
to third year students. Third year students enrolled in Clinic
are licensed to practice law by the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Second year students could not be licensed and would not be
able to represent clients. |
