The Civil Clinical Law Program is the College of Law’s first formal clinical program, launching in January, 1975. Students in the Civil Clinic have an opportunity to represent low-income clients in a wide variety of civil and administrative cases selected by the faculty for potential litigation and trial experience and maximum pedagogical benefit.
In addition to litigation-based experiences, Civil Clinic students also have opportunities to engage in projects that help them develop their drafting and planning skills, such as the Advance Directive Clinic Project, in which students draft simple estate planning documents for clients. Students’ caseloads are designed to approximate the types of matters they might expect to handle as new lawyers in a variety of practice settings.
“Civil Clinic taught me not only how to think like a lawyer but also how to actually be a lawyer. I gained practical experience in several areas of law, including child support, bankruptcy, guardianship, and advance directives. Although it was a lot of work and challenging at times, it was very rewarding to represent low-income clients, senior citizens, and veterans. I am grateful for this hands-on experience that significantly helped prepare me for my legal career in rural Nebraska."
Alissa Doerr
CLASS OF 2016
“Law school classes taught me the law, but Civil Clinic taught me the practice of law. The Clinic gave me my first opportunity to interact with clients, think strategically about case development, work alongside lawyers within the community, and ultimately appear before a judge. Furthermore, I got to do each of these things while receiving constant feedback from my professors and my peers, all while working to expand access to justice. Together these opportunities provided me irreplaceable experience and perspective as I set out to practice law.”
Chris Schmidt
CLASS OF 2016