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Alegal clinic (also law clinicorlaw-school clinic) is a legal aidorlaw-school program providing services to various clients and often hands-on legal experience to law students. Clinics are usually directed by clinical professors.[1] Legal clinics typically conduct pro bono work, providing free legal services to clients.
Legal clinics originated as a method of practical teaching of law students, but today they also encompass free legal aid with no academic links.[2] Some practice-based law clinics with no academic link provide hands-on skills to lawyers, judges, and non-lawyers on practical dimensions of the law while offering legal services to clients.[3]
In a law-school clinic, students typically provide assistance with research, drafting legal arguments, and meeting with clients. In many cases, professors will appear for oral argument before courts. However, many jurisdictions have "student practice" rules that permit law-clinic students to appear and argue in court.[4][5]
Some scholars in some jurisdictions have questioned the quality of that legal representation in cases where parties cannot afford a lawyer and are provided legal services by the state. Law-school clinics provide other options to such clients.[6]
Clinical legal studies operate in many areas, including immigration law, environmental law, intellectual property, housing, criminal defense, criminal prosecution, American Indian law, human rights, and international criminal law.[7] Clinics sometimes sue companies and government entities, which has led to pushback in courts and legislatures, including attempts to put limits on whom clinics can sue without losing state subsidies.[8]
While many jurisdictions have "student practice" rules that allow law-clinic students to appear and argue in court,[4] in some countries like India law students cannot represent clients in court.[6]
According to some scholars, clinical legal education fails to meet its goals because it lacks resources.[6] Other scholars have highlighted the educational capabilities of even low-cost legal clinics.[9]
