NCJ Number
56267
Journal
Journal of Legal Education Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: (1977) Pages: 573-591
Date Published
1977
Length
19 pages
Annotation
DURING THE 1973-74 SCHOOL YEAR, 10 LAW STUDENTS TAUGHT A COURSE IN CRIMINAL LAW AND PRISONERS RIGHTS FOR INMATES OF THE INDIANA WOMEN'S PRISON IN INDIANAPOLIS. REASONS WHY THIS IS A VALID CLINICAL CREDIT PROJECT ARE GIVEN.
Abstract
MOST CLINICAL CREDIT PROJECTS INVOLVE WORKING IN SOME SORT OF LEGAL AID OFFICE. IT IS HOPED THAT THIS TYPE OF EXPERIENCE WILL SUPPLEMENT THE CLASSROOM WORK AND THAT STUDENTS WILL GAIN A PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAW. UNFORTUNATELY, MOST LEGAL AID OFFICES ARE UNDERSTAFFED AND HAVE HEAVY CASELOADS. THIS MEANS STUDENTS ARE NOT GIVEN THE SUPERVISION THEY NEED TO DEVELOP GOOD HABITS. THE RESULTS CAN BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF BAD HABITS AND INFERIOR SERVICE FOR THE CLIENT. THE PRISON PROJECT INVOLVED BOTH FIRST YEAR AND UPPER CLASS STUDENTS. THEY HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY OF RESEARCHING THE MATERIALS FOR THE PROJECT, SETTING UP A CURRICULUM, AND ACTUALLY TEACHING THE COURSE. THE CRIMINAL LAW SECTION OF THE COURSE INVOLVED REVIEW OF MATERIALS TAUGHT IN THE LAW SCHOOL CLASSES. THE PRISONERS' RIGHTS SECTION INVOLVED RESEARCHING CASES AND COMPILING A SUMMARY OF THE STATUS OF THE LAW FROM CONFLICTING JUDICIAL DECISIONS. THIS REQUIRED CRITICAL THINKING AS WELL AS WRITING AND PRESENTATION SKILLS. THE PARTICIPATING INMATES WERE INITIALLY RESERVED, BUT AS THE COURSE WENT ON THEY BROUGHT THEIR INDIVIDUAL PROBLEMS TO THE LAW STUDENTS, WHO THEN RECEIVED PRACTICE IN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS. A PROFESSOR REVIEWED ALL COURSE MATERIAL TO ASSURE ITS LEGAL VALIDITY. SUCH A COURSE IS RECOMMENDED TO OTHER LAW SCHOOLS AS A CLINICAL CREDIT PROJECT. APPENDIXES SHOW THE DIVISION OF COURSE RESPONSIBILITY AMONG THE 10 LAW STUDENTS AND GIVE AN OUTLINE OF THE CURRICULUM, INCLUDING CASES CITED. (GLR)