LAW 7945 - Criminal Defense Clinic

Prerequisite, LAW 7142, instructor consent. Offered in partnership with the Orange County Public Defender’s Office (OCPD), the Chapman University Fowler School of Law Criminal Defense Clinic (Clinic) provides a unique opportunity for second and third-year students to explore careers in advocacy, litigation, and criminal law, especially criminal defense law. Beginning on the first day of the Clinic, the professor, a Deputy Public Defender, will assign students a misdemeanor client. Students will work on all aspects of the client’s case including discovery and trial preparation. The Clinic will have a classroom component covering practice skills involved in creating and maintaining a client’s file, interviewing and counseling clients, reviewing and evaluating discovery, working with a defense investigator to gather and evaluate facts, conducting substantive legal research, writing compelling motions, and being an effective courtroom advocate. The assigned reading will be available to you through free resources; no textbook is required. Students may enroll in the clinic two semesters in a row. Prerequisites: Students are required to have taken or be concurrently enrolled in Evidence. Students must become certified law students with the California Bar. Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Trial Practice are helpful but not required. Additional Requirements: Email Professor Brown (markbrown@chapman.edu) (1) with any questions you may have, (2) a copy of your updated resume; (3) a one-paragraph description of why you would like to join the Clinic; (4) a copy of the volunteer waiver form (attached); and (4) a completed background check form (attached).Once the background check is completed and Professor Brown approves a student’s enrollment in the Clinic, the Registrar’s Office will enroll the student in the course. The clinic satisfies the experiential course requirement, and it is an approved elective for the Criminal Law Emphasis. Letter grade. 4 credits