The Fact Investigation and Discovery in Complex Matters Clinic provides students with hands-on experience in conducting investigations of facts relevant to litigation, transactional matters, and public policy advocacy, particularly in complex settings. Examples include the investigation of complex consumer fraud schemes, the operation of large bureaucracies and organizations, or the performance of large public sector systems. Students will work in teams in collaboration with lawyers and others conducting investigations and analyses of one or more matters. Techniques and skills covered include interviewing, working with experts, obtaining documents and other information through public records laws, and the use of computers to manage and analyze large quantities of factual information. Civil litigation discovery tools, including interrogatories, inspection demands, and requests for admission, are included, as are the theoretical and practical relationships between fact development and advocacy, both in litigation and otherwise. The course touches on the conduct of depositions, but is not intended to replace Law 702, which focuses on preparing for and taking depositions. There are no prerequisites. Admission is by consent of the instructor.
The Fact Investigation clinic is taught by Professor Gary Blasi, one of the founding and core faculty of the law school's unique David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy.