Criminal Defense Clinic

In the Criminal Defense Clinic, you will have a challenging and rewarding experience working as a student attorney representing clients in various Minnesota state district courts. Through your classroom and courtroom work, you will develop client-centered, holistic advocacy skills that will serve you well as you embark on your career as a lawyer. You will also be challenged to think critically and creatively about the criminal justice court, the role of defense lawyers, legal ethics, and criminal law, evidence, and procedure.

The course will involve a combination of classroom work and supervised student representation of clients charged with criminal offenses in Minnesota state district courts. Students will represent clients at various stages of the criminal court process, including arraignments, pretrial conferences, probation violations, and trials. There will be a weekly two-hour seminar component that will include presentations on substantive criminal law and procedure, criminal justice policy issues, evidence, and trial advocacy skills, as well as simulation and skills training exercises, and case strategy discussions. The focus of the course will be to develop the skills to provide client-centered, holistic representation to clients charged in criminal cases.

Additional Commitments:

• Students should arrange their class schedule, so they are available to appear at least two calendars/days each week in court.  That can be a combination of mornings (8am to 12-12:30pm), afternoons (12pm to 4:30pm) or all day (8am to 4:30pm)
• Students cannot be concurrently working/interning/volunteering with an office or agency that prosecutes criminal cases.

What to expect when working on cases and with clients: 

Students will represent clients who are in custody and out of custody that are appearing at arraignment/bail hearings, pretrial hearings, probation violations, and other hearings in court on their criminal offenses. Students will represent clients in court as supervised student practitioners under the supervision of licensed attorney with the public defender’s office. Students will be expected to meet with clients, review their cases, counsel them on their options and the strengths/weaknesses of the state’s evidence, and help prepare their cases for resolution or litigation, depending on the client’s choice. This may involve visiting the scene of the offense, interviewing witnesses, researching statutes and relevant case law, and preparing for a suppression hearing or trial. Depending on the client’s wishes, students may negotiate with the prosecutor or probation on behalf of the client to achieve a favorable resolution. Students will learn advocacy and trial skills that will enable them to be client-centered, holistic criminal defense lawyers.

Note: This course requires certification pursuant to the student practice rule and is open to JD students only.