Externship Companion Seminar
The practice of public interest law - whether in the criminal or civil context or a government or non-profit setting - requires an attorney to consider a host of issues distinct from one in private practice. How should decisions be made about priorities with limited resources? Where an organization has a broad social justice mission, where does litigation on behalf of individual clients or a group of clients fit in? Prior to initiating litigation or advancing a defense, what quantum of evidence should an attorney require? What role, if any, should an attorney's personal beliefs play in a course of representation? Through directed supervision of their externships in prosecutors', public defenders' or civil non-profit and government offices, as well as participation in weekly seminars, students will evaluate such questions in the context of their practical experience. For a complete description, students should read the Externship Handbook, which is available from the Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law or online at: http://www.law.stanford.edu/program/centers/pip/externship/.