Concurrent Session 3B. Access to Justice Through Community Collaboration and Clinic Design

This session will examine how in-house law school clinics, through community-based collaboration and clinic design, can advance access to justice goals, both inside and outside the academy. The first portion of the presentation will examine how law schools can collaborate with practitioners to advance access to justice. It will describe a court watch project launched by the presenters and its impact in both promoting court reform and generating dialogue with students on the needs of low-income litigants. The session will train the audience in effective partnership and data collection models that further access to justice. The second portion will present and examine the role clinics play in addressing the unavailability of legal representation for both traditionally underserved and poor communities, as well as the middle class. The presentation will discuss engaging students in work with a clinic\u27s client population as preparation for post-graduate work with similar clients