Clinics & Externships

Civil Justice Clinic

Representing low-income clients in a variety of civil proceedings.

In the Civil Justice Clinic, students work as practicing lawyers, representing low-income clients in Philadelphia and Delaware counties in a range of civil disputes.  While providing legal representation to clients as part of our own “law firm”, students will make a real impact on the lives of their clients while also examining the role and professional responsibilities of all lawyers through first hand experience.  Each student will represent several clients with legal problems in different substantive areas, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Family law (parents and other parties in custody matters, support, paternity and related legal issues)
   
• Housing (tenants of public and subsidized housing seeking to preserve their housing by preventing evictions and in enforcing their right to decent, safe and sanitary housing; homeowners seeking to retain their homes in civil forfeiture proceedings)
   
• Employment (individuals who have been denied their rights by being refused employment improperly, or by not being properly compensated under state law, and individuals seeking Unemployment Compensation)
   
• Government benefits (primarily individuals seeking Social Security disability benefits and/or medical assistance)
   
• Consumer claims, which may include those dealing with the provision of utilities and those arising from improper reports from credit reporting agencies, and
   
• Clearing the records of individuals who have been wrongly accused of child abuse or neglect.

Faculty:

Professor Dveera Segal, 
Reuschlein Clinical Teaching Fellow, Michael Campbell
Reuschlein Clinical Teaching Fellow, MaryBeth Musumeci

Credit Hours:

Six.
The Civil Justice Clinic satisfies the practical writing requirement

Prerequisites:

Evidence.
Second year students cannot take this class in the Fall semester.

Time Commitment:

In addition to the time requirement for the seminar class and simulations, students are expected to spend an average of 14-16 hours per week on their cases.

Semesters Offered:

Fall and Spring

Application Process:

Lottery, with a preference given to third year students who have not taken a clinical course. Priority will be given to two (2) rising second year students in the Spring semester only.

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