For Students

Academic Credit and Student Eligibility

The Clinic is a 6 credit course that is open to second and third year law students. Pursuant to the Student Practice Rules of the State Bar of Texas, students are eligible to enroll in the Clinic once they have completed one half of their hours for graduation (45 hours).  

The Hunter Legal Center will accept 8 students per semester in the fall and spring semesters; the Clinic is not offered during the summer.

Mandatory Orientation

Students enrolled in the Clinic must attend a two-day orientation that will be held before the semester commences.  

Client Representation

Working in teams, students will have full responsibility for all aspects of client representation. Student attorneys will have extensive client contact and the opportunity to practice a number of core lawyering skills, including drafting client letters, legal memoranda, motions and written pleadings; interviewing, counseling and negotiating on behalf of clients; conducting intensive fact investigation; and litigating contested matters before a variety of tribunals. Student attorneys will also collaborate with community partners and work towards long-term solutions to the problem of violence against women through involvement in policy or advocacy projects.

Supervision of Student Attorneys

Students will meet with a supervising faculty member at least once per week (and more often when necessary) to discuss client matters, plan for future action to be taken in a case, and review and reflect upon recently executed decisions and actions.

Classroom Component

Students in the clinic will enroll in a seminar which provides the legal and analytical foundation for their lawyering experiences. The classes, which include topics such as client-centered lawyering, developing case theory, client interviewing and counseling, case planning, and cross-cultural competency, will allow students to hone their lawyering skills and teach them to adopt critical perspectives on the practical issues they are experiencing in their casework. Students will study legal theories that will assist them in analyzing their lawyering experiences and challenging their assumptions, and provide them with resources to better understand their clients’ problems and devise effective solutions.

Case Rounds

Student attorneys will participate in case rounds, facilitated discussions through which case developments and issues are shared with their fellow classmates. The discussions undertaken in case rounds help students grapple with the legal, procedural, and ethical issues that arise during their client representation.