Harvard Law School
Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs
2014-2015

• HLS has the largest variety of clinical opportunities in the country.
• In 2013-2014, there were over 900 clinic placements.
• Placements may be on or off campus, local or long distance, within the U.S. or around the world.

• Academic experience where students learn law through practice.
• Type of practice varies by clinic: litigation, legislative, policy, research.
• All work is supervised by a licensed attorney who provides feedback and guides training.
• Clinic work is supplemented by a course component where students learn substantive law and practical skills.

• Clinical placements are available at in-house clinics
(HLS) and externships (outside, independent organizations).
• Externship placements include government offices, large and small non-profits, and other agencies.
• See clinical curriculum chart to see placements offered through clinical courses.

In-House Clinics:
Externship Clinics:
• Criminal Justice Institute
• Crimmigration Clinic (HIRC)
• Cyberlaw Clinic (Berkman)
• Education Law Clinic / Trauma Learning
Policy Initiative
• Emmett Environmental Law and Policy Clinic
• Food Law and Policy Clinic (CHLPI)
• Harvard Immigration & Refugee Clinic
• Harvard Legal Aid Bureau
• Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinic
• Health Law and Policy Clinic (CHLPI)
• International Human Rights
• Shareholder Rights Clinic
• Transactional Law Clinics
• Capital Punishment Clinic
• Child Advocacy Clinic (CAP)
• Criminal Prosecution Clinic(District
Attorney)
• Employment Law Clinic
• Government Lawyer – USAO &
State Attorney General
• Government Lawyer – Semester in Washington
• Judicial Process in Community
Courts
• Sports Law Clinic
• Supreme Court Litigation Clinic
In-House Clinics at the WilmerHale Legal
Services Center (Jamaica Plain):
• Family Law and Domestic Violence Clinic
• Post-Foreclosure Eviction Defense/Housing Law Clinic
• Predatory Lending and Consumer Protection Clinic
• Veterans Law and Disability Benefits Clinic

www.law.harvard.edu/academics/clinical
• Clinical work is done in conjunction with a course
(Exception: Independent Clinicals and Continuing Clinicals)
• Curriculum chart lists clinics and their required course component(s).
• Also lists registration restrictions, pre-requisites, clinicals that span more than 1 term, clinicals offered in more than 1 term, additional requisites.

• Clinical credits are based on the average number of hours worked at the clinic per week.
• 1 clinical credit = 5 work hours per week
Term
Fall or Spring
Fall or Spring
Fall or Spring
Winter
Weeks Credits Hours/Week Hours/Term
12 2 10 hrs/wk 120 hrs/term
12
12
3
3
4
2
15 hrs/wk
20 hrs/wk
40 hrs/wk
180 hrs/term
240 hrs/term
120 hrs/term

• Clinics are a very serious time commitment.
• Real cases and clients with important outcomes.
• Expect to reserve half-days or full days for clinic work.
• Research a clinic before enrolling:
– Get advising from Clinical Office (oversees all clinics)
– Review past student evaluations
(HELIOS.law.harvard.edu – Public Service and Clinical
Practice)
– Talk to the clinic director or attorneys about the kind of work clinical students engage in

• Clinics are taken with a class
• Some clinics have additional pre-requisites that students must fulfill to participate.
• Clinics have early drop deadlines – please see the clinical curriculum chart or course catalog for specific dates.
• Failure to enroll in pre/co-requisite by the clinic’s add/drop deadline will result in the student being dropped from the clinic

• If you drop a clinical that has a Bundled or Reserved course component, you will be dropped from the clinic and the course.
• Drop deadlines for clinicals are earlier than of regular courses
(clinical drop deadlines can be found on the Clinical Curriculum
Chart and in the clinic’s description).
• If the class and clinical are in different semesters, you must drop by the deadline of the first component.
Example: Capital Punishment Clinic
Fall class Winter-Spring clinical
Add/Drop by Fall deadline

• Reserved clinical seats refer to a group of seats in a course that are reserved for clinical students. If a student chooses to drop the clinical component, they will lose their seat in the course:
Other seats are for students who are only taking the class
Reserved Clinical
Seats = 8

Some clinics require an application:
• Crimmigration Clinic
• Environmental Law and Policy (winter clinic only)
• Government Lawyer: Semester in Washington – due August 15
• Shareholder Rights Clinic – rolling deadline
• Sports Law Clinic
• Supreme Court Litigation Clinic

• For students who complete the class and clinical, and are invited back by the clinic to continue clinical work at an advanced level.
• Requires approval of supervising attorney and the clinic’s faculty director.
• Enrollment is by application.

www.law.harvard.edu/academics/clinical