Fall 2025 Class Descriptions: Clinics and Externships
Education & Disability Clinic I (LWVL550)
Instructor(s): Margaret (Mimi) Adams
2-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Children's Rights (JD)
Students receive practical training and experience in client intake, interviewing and counseling, file review and analysis, and legal representation in diverse forums. Some cases proceed to mediation and due process hearings, where students argue the case with support from the supervising attorney. Weekly group meetings are combined with individual case conferences to provide intensive personal training in case management. The classroom component also includes an overview of statutes and cases in this growing area of civil law. The clinic is graded on a 4-tier Pass-Fail basis. No prerequisites.
Students interested in working in the clinics for either academic credit or as a volunteer must first fill out and submit the USD Legal Clinics Application for Law Students . Clinic staff will review your application and confirm enrollment.
Note: This clinic may be applied towards the three required clinic credits for the Children's Rights Concentration (JD).
Additional Information: Children's Rights Concentration
Education & Disability Clinic II (LWVL551)
Instructor(s): Margaret (Mimi) Adams
1-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Children's Rights (JD)
Recommended Class(es): Special Education and the Law
Clinic II interns refine their skills, working on complex cases and cases already begun as Clinic I interns. Students may mentor first time clinic participants, serve as lead attorney on cases, and have additional opportunities to appear in court or administrative proceedings. Supervising attorneys/adjunct professors provide individualized coaching, based on the Clinic II interns’ needs and interests. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Clinic I in the same clinic. The clinic is graded on a 4-tier Pass-Fail basis.
Students interested in working in the clinics for either academic credit or as a volunteer must first fill out and submit the USD Legal Clinics Application for Law Students . Clinic staff will review your application and confirm enrollment.
Note: This clinic may be applied towards the three required clinic credits for the Children's Rights Concentration (JD). There are limitations on concentration eligibility. Please check the Health Law Concentration web page for more information.
Additional Information: Children's Rights Concentration, Health Law Concentration
Education Law Externship I & II (LWVL549)
Instructor(s): Margaret (Mimi) Adams
2-4 credit(s), P/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Children's Rights (JD), Public Interest Law (JD)
The Education Law Externship Program provides students the opportunity to gain valuable practice experience with an education law firm or a non-profit project focusing on education issues. In most cases, students have already identified a position and accepted it, but that is not required for Education Law Externship I. Students may enroll in Education Law Externship I and II for 1 - 6 units of credit and must work during the academic session for a minimum of 50 hours per credit (100 hours for 2 credits, 150 hours for 3 credits, 200 hours for 4 credits, 250 hours for 5 credits, and 300 hours for 6 credits). For purposes of the Education Law Externship, the academic session is from the official start of classes to the last day of final exams. Any externship work outside this time period may be counted towards pro bono hours, but not academic credit.
Academic requirements include a mandatory orientation, student submission of hours worked on a bi-weekly or monthly basis; a 750-word reflective paper at the end of the semester; an externship work product for professor review, assuming confidentiality is not an issue; and on-site supervisor evaluation showing satisfactory completion of work experience. The externship is graded on a Pass-Fail basis.
If you have accepted a field placement, meet the eligibility requirements, agree to meet the course obligations above and want to register for the Education Law Externship course, fill out the application below (see link). After you submit the form, the faculty
supervisor will review it and send you an email with additional information. If you do not have a placement or have any placement questions, please contact Professor Mimi Adams at mimiadams@sandiego.edu.
Note:
Please fill out the Education Law Externship Application Form and send it to Professor Adams, who is the faculty supervisor for the Education Law Externship program.
Additional Information: Education Law Externship Application Form
Entrepreneurship Clinic I (LWVL520)
Instructor(s): Sebastian Lucier, Eric Austin, Liz Bui, Christopher William Turnbow
2-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Business and Corporate Law (LLMUS), Business and Corporate Law (MSLS)
Through hands-on opportunities, students in the Entrepreneurship Clinic provide pro bono legal services to low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs who want to start or expand their small businesses. The Entrepreneurship Clinic does not engage in litigation-related services; instead, it focuses on advising clients on legal matters relating to starting their business and assisting in drafting and filing necessary documents. Such work includes: determining the appropriate choice of business entity, assistance in obtaining necessary permits and licenses, advising on employment and independent contractor issues, drafting and reviewing commercial contracts and leases, and assisting with the establishment of tax-exempt organizations. The clinic is graded on a 4-tier Pass-Fail basis. No prerequisites.
Students interested in working in the clinics for either academic credit or as a volunteer must first fill out and submit the USD Legal Clinics Application for Law Students . Clinic staff will review your application and confirm enrollment.
Entrepreneurship Clinic II (LWVL521)
Instructor(s): Sebastian Lucier, Eric Austin, Liz Bui, Christopher William Turnbow, Staff
1-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Business and Corporate Law (LLMUS), Business and Corporate Law (MSLS)
Clinic II interns refine their skills, working on complex cases and cases already begun as Clinic I interns.
Clinic II interns refine their skills, working on complex cases and cases already begun as Clinic I interns. Students may mentor first time clinic participants, serve as lead attorney on cases, and have additional opportunities to appear in court or administrative proceedings. Supervising attorneys/adjunct professors provide individualized coaching, based on the Clinic II interns’ needs and interests. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Clinic I in the same clinic.
Students interested in working in the clinics for either academic credit or as a volunteer must first fill out and submit the USD Legal Clinics Application for Law Students . Clinic staff will review your application and confirm enrollment.