How do I select a clinical course?
The clinical faculty encourages you to think broadly about which clinical course(s) to take. The program is built upon the principle that most legal skills are transferable across practice areas. Our goal is to provide students with conceptual frameworks that will allow them to make reasoned strategic judgments across all substantive areas of law. This means that the skills you learn in most clinical courses can be applied in whatever practice area you choose as a lawyer. For instance, if you decided to enroll in the Environmental Law Clinic you would learn skills that could be applied in any litigation or regulatory practice. If you look at the list of clinical courses you will see that they are organized around practice areas such as litigation, transactional, public interest, government/regulatory, criminal, and environmental. This provides some guidance to students who are interested in developing particular practice skills. Almost all clinical courses involve students learning to collaborate on cases and projects.
You should also feel free to speak with Susan Gillig, the Assistant Dean for Programs and Centers, or to faculty teaching clinical courses in which you have an interest.
Should I take a live-client clinic or a simulation-based course?
All clinical courses at UCLA train students in skills that lawyers use in real practice, such as information gathering, fact investigation, interviewing, client counseling, strategic planning, negotiation and dispute resolution, drafting, and the skills associated with trial advocacy. Each clinical course concentrates on different skill sets. Live-client clinics add the dimension of advising and/or advocating for actual clients or client groups under the supervision of UCLA faculty members. In simulation-based courses, the role of clients and witnesses are often played by volunteers from the Witness Program or by other people from outside the law school. A live-client clinic generally requires a greater commitment of time and flexibility from the student.
How do I enroll in a clinical course?
Clinical courses vary in enrollment procedures. Most are part of the regular enrollment procedure. Some have separate applications that can be obtained from the Records Office. You should check with the course descriptions to find out which procedure applies to the clinical course you are interested in taking.
How difficult is it to get into in a clinical course?
Many clinical courses are in heavy demand and you cannot count on enrollment in your clinic of choice. Some clinics give preference to third year students and/or have an application procedure. If the clinical course of your choice does not have a separate application procedure, we recommend that you select the clinic on a first pass and that, if you are unable to enroll, you check with the instructor on the first day of class to see whether a space in the clinic opens up.
Do clinical courses have pre- or co-requisites?
Some clinical courses have pre- or co-requisites, particularly if you need to be certified by the California State Bar Association to represent clients under attorney supervision. Check the course description to see what pre- or co-requisites might apply.
Do clinical course require time commitment outside of normal classroom hours?
All clinical courses require some time commitment outside of classroom hours, either for simulations and working on client matters. The live-client clinics all require a substantial time commitment in addition to the classroom schedule. This may include some travel.
How many clinical courses can I take?
Because clinical courses are oversubscribed, the faculty has approved the following rule that generally limits the number of clinical courses you may take to two.
"Students may enroll in and receive credit for more than two clinical courses under the following circumstances:
1. when there is a vacancy in a clinical class and no wait list, to be determined on the first day the class meets; or
2. for sound, educational objectives, to be determined by the faculty member teaching the clinical in consultation with the Assistant Dean for Clinical Programs. This provision would only apply to those courses for which enrollment is by instructor consent."
Does an externship count as a clinical course?
Yes, an externship counts as one clinical course. If you have already taken two clinical courses and then want to do an externship, you must confer with the Assistant Dean of Clinical and Extern Program about how this choice would fit into your academic program. For more information about externships, please visit the full-time and part-time externships webpage.
How are clinical courses graded?
Grading policies vary by clinic. Some are graded on the A-F scale; others are graded on a P/U/NC scale. Students should check with the course description. The faculty member teaching each clinical course determines the specific criteria upon which students are evaluated.