Welcome to Temple's Clinical Program! Unlike more traditional courses, a clinical course offers the unique opportunity to learn by doing -- you are the lawyer. Students actively assume the role of a practicing attorney in real or simulated situations, under the close supervision of an experienced practitioner and teacher. Professional skills are developed and honed in the practical component of each clinical course. In the classroom component, students learn substantive, procedural, tactical, and ethical issues presented by the particular practice.
Clinical legal education at Temple prepares students to become competent and ethical practitioners -- as trial lawyers, counselors, and mediators. The clinical program provides the essential bridge between life (and learning) before and after graduation from law school. Although students find a multitude of opportunities to sharpen their lawyering skills, the deeper value of clinical education is students' enhanced understanding of the legal process and the professional role they are to play.
Temple has offered clinical placements since 1953 when it opened the Temple Legal Aid Office. Today, as one of the most popular programs at the law school, it includes 17 external clinical courses and seven in-house clinical courses (including three in the Legal Aid Office). The clinical curriculum offers students rich educational opportunities in diverse professional settings. All clinical courses offer at least three academic credits and include both a practice and a classroom component. Approximately 300 clinical placements are available to J.D. (primarily third year day and fourth year evening division) students who complete the appropriate prerequisites. The Director of Clinical Programs is responsible for the administration and supervision of all clinical programs.
Temple's Department of Clinical Legal Education was honored in 1989 by the American College of Trial Lawyers for excellence. In 1993, the E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award was presented to the law school by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Professionalism in recognition of outstanding achievement. Also, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded Temple two consecutive grants to develop and enhance clinical legal education. In 1998, Temple's Trial Teams were undefeated and swept all four major national trial competitions, including the National Trial Championship which Temple won in 1995. In 1999, Temple's Trial Team again won the National Trial Championship.
The true measure of our success, however, is the competence and quality of our graduates. Many of our graduates report that their clinical course was the highlight of their law school experience. For some, it changed the direction of their legal careers. While we cannot guarantee that every clinical course will be quite so remarkable, we want to do everything possible to ensure that you have a satisfying and productive semester. Not surprisingly, what you put into it will determine, to a large extent, what you get out.