This guest post is by Regent Law 3L, Michael Castillon, current Clinic student:
This fall I have had the privilege of participating in the Civil Litigation Clinic at Regent University School of Law. Throughout the semester, I was given several responsibilities, ranging from conducting client interviews, to representing clients in court and administrative hearings.
While working in the clinic, I was given the unique opportunity to represent a client in an unemployment compensation case, which spanned the length of three full hours. During the hearing, I was tasked with cross examining five witnesses as well as conducting a closing argument. We worked to help a client provide and care for his family. The practical experience gained from working in the clinic is unmatched, and it is something that I strongly recommend to anyone who is interested in legal aid work and litigation.
Mr. Castillon gained the kind of experiential training in this course that many law students never receive, and some attorneys do not get in years of practice. Practice-ready training makes a difference for law students and in families for whom those students advocate.
That sounds like an extremely interesting time. And beyond the practice-ready experience, I know I've had doubts about what I want to do when I get out of law school. Did this give you more of a feel for where or what area of law you'll feel comfortable working in?
ReplyDeleteBen,
DeleteWhile I have always had a passion to work with clients who cannot afford adequate representation, this experience definitely affirmed my interest in legal aid work. But more importantly, although many in the legal profession would regard this as a small case, the experience helped me to understand that every case is significant to both the client and his/her attorney.
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