Spring 2026 Class Descriptions: Clinics and Externships
Immigration Clinic I (LWVL530)
Instructor(s): Tammy Lin
2-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): International Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), International Law (LLMUS), LLM in International Law (LLMI)
Students gain practical experience through interviewing, counseling, and representing clients with immigration-related problems. Students have the opportunity to assist clients with a range of immigration issues such as naturalization, lawful permanent residency, derivative citizenship, deferred action, and U-visa and VAWA for domestic violence and abuse victims. Students may attend U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interviews related to their client’s applications. Students may also attend and participate in community immigration outreach. Weekly meetings are held with the clinic supervisor and other interns to discuss immigration law, practical application and casework. 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.
Immigration Clinic II (LWVL531)
Instructor(s): Tammy Lin
1-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential OR Writing
Concentration(s): International Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), International Law (LLMUS), LLM in International Law (LLMI)
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.
Innocence Clinic I (Remote via Zoom) NEW (LWVL552)
Instructor(s): Justin Brooks
2-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Criminal Litigation (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), Criminal Law (LLMUS), Criminal Law (LLMG)
Prerequisite(s): Wrongful Convictions
Corequisite(s): Pre- or co-requisite: Evidence
Recommended Class(es): Criminal Procedure I, Criminal Procedure II
Students in the Innocence Clinic will work under the supervision of Professor Brooks and lawyers from The Innocence Center assisting with the investigation and litigation of wrongfully convicted incarcerated clients. Students will be tasked with developing investigation plans, summarizing documents, meeting with clients, presenting cases, writing motions, writing briefs, and general litigation tasks. Students must have taken Wrongful Convictions to be eligible for the clinic. Students are selected through an interview process.
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.
IP Externship (LWVL532)
Instructor(s): Ted Sichelman
1-6 credit(s), P/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), Civil Litigation (JD), Intellectual Property (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Business and Corporate Law (LLMUS), Intellectual Property (LLMUS), Intellectual Property Law (LLMG)
This course places students at local law firms and companies to provide legal assistance to local individuals (inventors, artists, musicians, and others) and tech and media companies in the areas of patent prosecution, patent searching, trademark prosecution, filing of provisional and utility patents, intellectual property litigation, intellectual property transactions, and related areas (including copyright and trade secret law). Students will be supervised by attorneys at the local law firms and companies as well as the professors. Students begin work during the first week of the semester with companies and law firms and meet one-on-one with the professors on a regular basis.
Only students who were registered for the fall semester will be admitted to the spring semester. Non-graduating students who have not previously participated in the externship may apply for the Fall 2026 externship in late Spring 2026. Please see the Fall 2025 course description for more information on applying for the 2026-27 program.
Additional Information: Application