Clinical Programs
At the UNC School of Law, clinical legal educational provides students the opportunity to learn legal theory and legal practice while providing much needed legal assistance to under-represented individuals and organizations. Students represent clients with a wide range of legal problems and handle litigation, transactional, and policy matters from beginning to end. The clinical offerings are sufficiently broad to allow students to work in a variety of legal areas and enhance a number of skills: civil rights, consumer, criminal defense, community development, domestic violence, housing, human rights, family, immigration, and policy work with legislators and NGOs [more about clinical programs...].
Recent Research & Reports
*UNC Immigration/Human Rights Policy Clinic Releases New Study That Finds Dramatic Problems with the 287(g) Immigration Program.
A federal law granting local police and sheriffs the power to act as immigration officials when faced with dangerous criminals or terrorists has instead created a climate of racial profiling and community insecurity, according to researchers at the UNC School of Law. A team of law students, led by Deborah Weissman, Reef C. Ivey II Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of Clinical Programs at UNC School of Law, and Katherine Parker and Rebecca Headen, lawyers with the ACLU in North Carolina Legal Foundation, released a report on the 287(g) Program in North Carolina titled, "The Policies and Politics of Local Immigration Enforcement Law". The report found that the agencies most closely reviewed have failed to comply with contracts governing the program, and proposes solutions, including greater transparency and a functional system for complaints or appeals. To review this report, please click on the corresponding links below:
To find out how we get our cases, please select a clinic above.
For more information about the School of Law's clinical programs, contact Deborah Weissman, professor of law and director of clinical programs.
Registration For Externship and Clincal Programs for the 2009-2010 academic year has ended.
Testimonial for Community Development Law Clinic
"My participation in the Community Legal Development Clinic has been an invaluable part of my legal education. The CDL Clinic gave me an opportunity to develop practical legal skills that complement classroom training, such as establishing and maintaining client relationships and preparing legal documents. I have consistently applied these skills in my legal practice. In fact, my first assignment as a new attorney involved forming and obtaining tax-exempt status for a nonprofit corporation -- something I actually had experience doing through the CDL Clinic.
The CDL Clinic also furthered my sense of community responsibility, showing me an alternative way to help those in need. The CDL Clinic inspired me to strive to be a great attorney who is also dedicated to improving the community. I continue to perform pro bono work for nonprofit community organizations and I am grateful to the CDL Clinic for showing me how."
- Janice Island, Carolina Law Student