2 or 3 Credits (Clinic)
Students in the Federal Courts Clinic are placed in the Civil Division of the US Attorney's Office in Boston and work under the supervision of a designated assistant US attorney. The US Attorney's Office only accepts law students for the 15-hour (3-credit) version of this clinic.
Experience
Students work with assistant US attorneys on a wide variety of matters that fall within the jurisdiction of the Civil Division. Students submit weekly journals, describing and reflecting on their experiences in the field, and meet in a series of seminars with the course instructor and/or the Clinical Director to explore the relationship between the principles covered in the substantive class and the students' fieldwork.
The bulk of the work involves research and writing on litigation-related legal issues that are directly pertinent to the subjects covered in the Federal Courts class (e.g., justiciability and immunity defenses, government enforcement actions, civil rights litigation). Students prepare memoranda and drafts of arguments to be included in briefs, may assist in discovery or case investigation, may attend court hearings, and generally assist in the normal work of the office. This course also satisfies New England Law’s Experiential Education Requirement.
NOTE: Eligibility for this course is dependent on successful completion of a background check.
“This was my most enjoyable clinical experience; I took four clinics while at New England Law. I spent the entire semester working on an investigation into a violation of the public accommodations provision of the ADA by a prominent private school in the Boston area. I was able to sit in on informal depositions and even had the opportunity to meet the little girl with the disability I was working with to ensure her civil rights were protected.” —Stacie Pavao ’18