Public Defender Clinic

SLN #: 13680
Course Prefix: LAW-772
Course Section: 001
Credit Hours: 6
Instructor(s): Lowrance
Course Books: View List of Books

Course Description:
Students enrolled in the Public Defender Clinic represent indigent defendants in criminal cases under the close supervision of an experienced public defender. Most cases involve drug charges, providing an opportunity to address challenging issues relating to search & seizure and the admissibility of scientific evidence.

Students are expected to spend 300 hours in the Clinic during the semester (approximately 30 hours of training and 270 hours of casework). As a general guideline, students are expected to work 20 hours per week. Students participate in a mandatory seminar, with instruction in courtroom advocacy, interviewing and counseling skills, substantive law and court procedure.

The Public Defender Clinic is a graded course (6 credits). Evidence is a pre-requisite. Trial Advocacy is not a pre-requisite, but if you have been through this course, the skills are beneficial to students' cases.

One week prior to the start of the semester, students are required to attend a mandatory three-day training session.

This course fulfills the professional skills requirement for graduation.

NOTE: Please see the Clinical Program website for more details as well as the application. https://law.asu.edu/clinics

Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 6
Grading Option: Numeric Grade and ONE-Time Pass Option is Available, or Letter Grade Only
Graduation Writing Requirement: No
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: No
Skills Requirement: Yes
Simulation Course: No
Experiential Learning: No
Seminar: No
Prerequisite: Evidence
Special Withdrawal Course: Yes. Because of administrative considerations and professional obligations to courts and clients, no student pre-registered for a clinical offering shall be allowed to drop the clinic later than one month preceding the first day of classes, or to add the clinic, unless approval is obtained from the Director of the Clinical Program.
Limited Enrollment Number: 4
Final Exam Given: No
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies
Additional Attendance Policy: Mandatory

* The law school has a policy that is used to calculate credit hours. Please see the Statement of Student Policies.