Legal Residency Agreement
I.
PARTIES
This Agreement is made by and between the following (1) Legal Resident, (2) Faculty
Supervisor, and (3) Field Supervisor as described below:
1. Legal Resident:
Insert name, address, and work phone number.
2. Faculty Supervisor:
Associate Clinical Professor Courtney Brooks or
Visiting Professor Emeritus Ellen Musinsky
UNH School of Law
2 White Street
Concord, NH 03301
603-228-1541
Courtney.Brooks@law.unh.edu
Ellen.Musinsky@law.unh.edu
3. Field Supervisor:
Insert name, title, address, phone number and e-mail.
II.
PURPOSE
The general purpose of this legal residency is to provide the Legal Resident with the
chance to apply his/her classroom knowledge in a real-world setting. This experience
will help the Legal Resident begin the transition from a student to a legal practitioner by
allowing him/her to earn academic credit while developing legal and professional skills
under the close supervision of a professional practitioner. Ideally, the legal residency
should provide the Legal Resident with opportunities to, for example:
1. learn about the practice of law:
a. in the State of _______________________________ and/or
b. in the area of _______________________;
2. develop and/or hone fundamental lawyering skills such as those described
in the “MacCrate Report”;
3. observe experienced attorneys, judges and other professional practitioners;
4. begin forming a professional identity;
5. develop professional judgment and practice exercising such judgment;
6. reflect about his or her field placement experience; and
7. recognize and take steps to address ethical problems.
4
III.
ACADEMIC RULES AND REGULATIONS
This “Legal Residency Agreement” is created in conformity with UNH School of Law’s
Academic Rule IX and shall be governed by Academic Rule IX.
IV.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR LEGAL RESIDENCY. AMOUNT
OF CREDIT AND HOURS PER WEEK.
NUMBER OF CREDITS _____
HOURS PER WEEK____
In addition to the purposes of a legal residency as stated in UNH School of Law
Academic Rule IX and in Section II above, the following goals and objectives shall guide
the Legal Resident’s learning in this legal residency.
[THE FOLLOWING IS TO BE COMPLETED BY THE STUDENT WITH
INPUT, WHERE APPROPRIATE, FROM HIS/HER FIELD SUPERVISOR]
GOAL I: Set out broad goal; For example: “gain a practical working knowledge of
criminal prosecution” or “Develop first hand familiarity with the entire process of
prosecuting utility patent applications.”
Objective 1: Give a detail of how you are going to achieve GOAL 1. For example:
“learn the specific techniques of building a criminal prosecution case; or,
“Complete at least one patent specification.”
Objective 2. More details
Objective 3. More details, list as many objectives as necessary to cover what you
need to learn to meet the first goal.
GOAL II. Examples: “Observe the development of a sexual assault case,” or,
“Research and develop patentability opinions.”
The Legal Resident should have at least three goals and as many objectives as
necessary to show the details of the work anticipated during the legal residency. In
completing this portion, the Legal Resident should consider what legal and/or
professional skills he/she wants to develop. If a student is unclear about what
opportunities he/she might have during the semester, then he/she should consult
with the field supervisor. This exercise is an opportunity for both the student and
the supervisor to plan for the semester.
5
V.
LEGAL RESIDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The Legal Resident is responsible:
1. For working at the field placement for a total of fourteen (14) weeks,
subject to holidays and vacations, for a minimum of:
a. sixteen (16) hours a week for a four (4) credit legal residency;
b. twenty-four (24) hours a week for a six (6) credit legal residency;
or
c. forty (40) hours a week for an eleven (11) credit legal residency.
2. For adhering to such rules and regulations for office conduct as the Field
Supervisor may prescribe and, in the absence of such articulated rules,
conforming to the professional requirements and ethical standards
appropriate in a professional setting.
3. For meeting the requirements specified in UNH School of Law Rule IX
and for satisfying the Legal Residency Course requirements as prescribed
by legal residency faculty. These requirements include, but are not limited
to:
a. Keeping a log that truthfully describes the Legal Resident’s
activities in the field placement, the time devoted to each activity
and the Legal Resident’s thoughts, reflections and observations
about his/her activities.
b. Submitting a final paper in accordance with the guidelines
provided by UNH Law legal residency faculty.
c. Participating in at least five discussion forums on TWEN.
d. Interacting ethically and professionally with: (i) the Field
Supervisor, (ii) the attorneys and staff at the field placement, (iii)
UNH Law legal residency faculty and staff, and (iv) legal
residency classmates.
By signing this Agreement, the Legal Resident agrees that s/he will not receive
compensation for any of the work performed in the field placement for which the student
is earning academic credit as set forth in UNH School of Law Rule IX and pursuant to
ABA Standard 305. The Legal Resident may, however, receive reimbursement for
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses related to the field placement.
6
VI.
FACULTY SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
The Faculty Supervisor is responsible:
1. BEFORE the legal residency begins, for describing the nature and kinds of
experience in which the Legal Resident may be engaged at the field
placement under the direction of the Field Supervisor.
2. DURING the legal residency, for communicating with both the Legal
Resident and the Field Supervisor to assure that the purposes of the legal
residency are achieved. It is required that the Faculty Supervisor, or a
designated Faculty member, makes at least one visit to the Legal
Residency site. In addition, the Faculty Supervisor should be reasonably
accessible to the Legal Resident on an as-needed basis.
3. AFTER the legal residency ends, for evaluating the Legal Resident’s
learning in the legal residency and the adequacy and effectiveness of the
Field Supervisor’s direction of the student’s engagement in the field
placement.
VII.
FIELD SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
The Field Supervisor is responsible:
1. For engaging the Legal Resident on a regular basis throughout the term of
the legal residency in a critical evaluation of the Legal Resident’s
engagement in the field placement. “Regular basis” is approximately one
(1) hour a week of one-to-one meeting. The Field Supervisor should
continually review the Legal Resident’s activities in the legal residency
and the achievement of the purposes of the legal residency program with
reference to the Legal Resident’s Goals and Objectives as defined in
Section IV.
2. For being reasonably accessible to the Legal Resident on an as-needed
basis.
3. For helping the Legal Resident understand how his/her work fits into the
total project, case, or service.
4. For preparing an evaluation, in writing, of the Legal Resident’s
performance midway and at the end of the term during which the legal
residency occurs and submitting the evaluation or evaluations to the
Faculty Supervisor in such form and at such time or times as have been
indicated.
7
5. For orienting the Legal Resident to such rules, policies, procedures,
methods, operations, etc. of the field placement organization which are
necessary for the student to understand how to behave professionally,
ethically and responsibly in the legal residency.
6. For confirming that any assignments the Legal Resident receives from
professionals other than the Field Supervisor satisfy the student’s goal for
the legal residency and/or achieve the purposes of the legal residency
program. The Field Supervisor is further responsible for assisting the
Legal Resident in getting feedback from the assigning professionals
regarding the Legal Resident’s performance.
7. For facilitating the Legal Resident’s inclusion in office activities, to the
extent appropriate. For example, Legal Residents should be invited to
regular meetings of the professionals in the field placement, weekly
luncheon meetings, CLE or other seminars, conferences and presentations,
etc. Legal Residents should additionally be encouraged to attend, as
appropriate, client meetings and conferences, administrative hearings and
trials, depositions, closings, etc.
8. For meeting with the Legal Resident and a UNH Law Faculty member at
an arranged time during the semester.
VIII.
AGREEMENT
I, the undersigned, have read this document and agree to perform the duties specified. I
further agree to abide by any and all provisions of UNH School of Law Academic Rule
IX as they might apply to this legal residency.
______________________________
Name of Legal Resident
Address
Phone Number
________________________
Date
______________________________
Name of Field Supervisor
Title
Address
Phone Number
________________________
Date
8
________________________________
Courtney Q. Brooks, Assoc. Clin. Prof.
Ellen J. Musinsky, Visiting Prof. Emeritus
UNH School of Law
2 White Street
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 228-1541
9
________________________
Date