Criminal Clinic
The Criminal Clinic at the University of Nebraska College of Law is one of the few prosecution clinics in the country. As such, students get first-hand experience with and invaluable insight into how the government puts together a criminal case – from initial charging decisions to ultimate case resolution. After the initial training seminars, students spend the remainder of the semester working at the local prosecutor’s office where they prosecute misdemeanor and low-grade felony cases under the direct supervision of the faculty instructor. Students are responsible for every aspect of their assigned cases and appear numerous times in court to conduct hearings on those cases. Additionally, every student conducts initial arraignments (first appearances) for misdemeanor, traffic and felony offenses.
Sean Kipp, Class of 2016 Cedar Park, TX
Criminal Clinic was the coolest and most beneficial thing that I did in law school. It was exciting to be able to put the things that I had learned in other classes to practical use in real cases. The great thing about Criminal Clinic was that I was in the courtroom multiple times every week. It was awesome to be able handle cases from start to finish. I got to charge new cases, arraign those defendants, handle evidentiary hearings and trials and then see it all wrapped up at sentencing and in appeal. I got to conduct numerous hearings and trials including sitting second chair on a felony jury trial. My two favorite experiences were conducting a jury trial with my clinic partner and arguing an appeal in District Court. The experiences gained from clinic have been invaluable for me. I don’t know that I would feel confident to practice on my own had I not participated in Criminal Clinic. In fact, in the course of my job search, I had an attorney tell me that the experience I had from clinic could even qualify me for some positions that required 1 – 2 years of practice experience.