LAW: 4800 Undergraduate Clinical Law Program (typically 3-5 credits)

The Community Empowerment Law Project (CELP) enrolls motivated and interested undergraduate student to work with 3-4 law students, representing a nonprofit organization or coalition with a social justice mission. The undergraduate student will have the opportunity to participate in the representation of a client, contribute to social justice issues, and gain a better understanding of the law, legal education, and the work of a lawyer. They will also provide a non-legal lens on the problem solving being done and push the team to think creatively and beyond the law. The undergraduate student will be expected to:

• Attend an intensive clinic Orientation for 3 days at the start of the semester
• Prepare for, and participate in, seminars and case rounds (scheduled for 2 hours each week)
• Attend a weekly team supervision with Professor Fisher Page (which will be scheduled based on the team’s collective availability)
• Submit at least three, 2-3 page reflection papers during the semester
• Plan for, and participate in, client meetings, community engagement, other research, and the creation and presentation of the final deliverable for the client
• Be open to sharing their thoughts and opinions on the work  

To view the course in the UI course catalog, click here.

The Clinical Law Program

The CELP is one of six practice groups that make up the Clinical Law Program at the College of Law. The Clinical Law Program provides pro bono representation to individuals, organizations, and agencies who cannot afford representation or because the representation furthers important social justice goals. There are six professors in the Clinical Law Program who supervise approximately thirty law students in their second or final year of their formal education. The student team takes the lead on client representation, including strategic decision-making, client counseling, and speaking with or on behalf of clients in courts, the legislature, and other fora.

About CELP

The CELP, through the representation of nonprofit and other organizations, works to strengthen communities, create economic opportunity, and advance social justice in the State of Iowa. We aim to help clients and communities amplify their voices, increase their impact, build strategic alliances, and to engage lawyers as collaborative partners and fellow problem-solvers. The CELP undertakes matters ranging from entity formation and strategic planning to coalition building and the design of advocacy plans.