Criminal Practice Clinic

Clinical Prerequisite Class taught by Professor Krieger

The Prosecutor/Defender externships require previous completion of Criminal Practice Clinic. Evidence is a prerequisite or co-requisite for this course. Note that Professional Responsibility is not required for this course, but is required before beginning your externship.

Enrollment is individually approved by the externship coordinator. Students MUST file a pre-registration application form with the Clinic Office by the posted deadline. Visit our office for this form. The Program Assistant will register students for this course. Students (a) may not simultaneously take Civil Pretrial Practice; and (b) may not also take Trial Practice, except that Mock Trial team members may also take Mock Trial Practice but will receive reduced credit (2) for Criminal Practice Clinic because of overlap.

The course provides training in the trial and pre-trial skills necessary to function as an effective prosecution or defense attorney. The course traces the criminal process from the time an accused is taken into custody or charged with a crime through the determination of guilt and sentencing. Students not planning to extern may enroll on a space-available basis. Generally, one section of the course is offered during the fall and two sections are offered during the spring term. The course is not offered during the summer term. Grading is pass/fail with an S+/S- option. Students receive three hours of academic credit. Classes generally meet 3 hours per week during the term; the concluding mock trial meetings are 4 hours, usually in the evening.

Notes:

  1. This course is often overenrolled. Students who wish to maximize their likelihood of taking a Prosecutor or Defender externship are advised to apply for this course for the Fall of their second year. If you do not gain admission in the Fall, you will have a second opportunity in the Spring.
  2. Unless waived in writing by the instructor, students must complete a Prosecutor or Defender litigation externship (not appeals) in order to receive a satisfactory grade for the Criminal Practice Clinic. More information on this policy, and on waivers to take this course as an elective (or otherwise without committing to the externship), may be obtained from Janet Horton as part of the preregistration application process.
  3. If there are too many applicants for externships in a given semester (exceeding 20 in the Summer, 15 in the Fall, or 10 in the Spring), students who are not enrolled will be excused from the externship requirement if they so choose (or may extern in another semester if they prefer and can otherwise do so).
  4. Students who receive a U for the CPC course are generally disqualified from the externship, as are those who receive S-, unless the externship coordinator is confident of their ability to succeed in the externship. Further, the prosecutor/defender externship is a rigorous learning experience which requires strong personal commitment, initiative, focused attention and self-motivation from each student. Consequently, students who do not consistently display these qualities during the CPC course will not be enrolled in the externship, regardless of the grade they obtain in the course. Similarly, students whose previous record creates questions about these qualities will receive reduced priority for enrollment in the prerequisite Criminal Practice Clinic if it is overenrolled.