Shortly after the ruling, Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, said on Twitter: « The Supreme Court ruled today that President Obama`s DACA program is clearly illegal. » As a clinical student, Rice said, she was able to practice interview techniques with actors hired in recorded simulations and then discuss interactions with Paoletti. Learn more about Penn Law`s clinical and external capabilities. The clinic meets twice a week for a seminar to provide training on basic legal skills, including client interviews, case theory development, fact-finding, strategic planning, client consultation, negotiation, information sessions, litigation and advocacy skills. Students participate in videotaped interviews, mock and real-life consultation and negotiation sessions with their clients, and conduct non-procedural advocacy exercises in front of invited community members and media and legislative experts. Students are also introduced to the theories of human rights lawyers and invited to critically examine them during the seminar. During case visits, students present developments, solicit and provide suggestions and comments on specific legal, factual, ethical and strategic issues that arise in the context of their client representation. These sessions provide an invaluable opportunity for students to learn from each other. Hours each year in legal services for clients in need Paoletti hopes his students at the clinic will have « an understanding of the importance of case theory, the powerful role of storytelling, and the ability to understand how to understand it, » whatever « it is. » Gittis Legal Clinics is Penn Carey Law`s teaching law firm, which consists of nine in-house clinics that provide students with unique opportunities to develop essential legal skills and professional values. Our mission is to educate students about the skills and intricacies of a lawyer while meeting the legal needs of clients and underserved communities. Through a series of different experimental clinical and external courses that put students at the forefront of client advocacy, Penn Carey law students learn what lawyers do, how they do it, and ultimately what it means to be a lawyer. Another highlight of the clinic for many students is the experience of working with each other. « Every aspect of law school is competitive, » Jerrehian said, « from classes to jobs to extracurricular activities, and it was a relief to be on the same page as my classmates. » While the clinic`s work has always seemed important, Paoletti said, « The Trump administration`s attack on immigration has increased the importance of our work.

This is an area of law, policy and practice where representation and critical legal analysis are more important than ever to the recognition of our clients` fundamental human rights and dignity. « Before I enrolled in the clinic, I didn`t know how important it was to develop this skill, » she said. « I thought that, by nature, I was good at communicating well and that my years of direct service were certainly sufficient preparation. They were not. Karen Wiswall L`15: I think what was most rewarding was taking responsibility for a file and working on it for a specific client that I was able to meet, interview, give legal advice and answer their questions. In law school, you tend to ask a lot of questions, but you don`t answer them and don`t understand what it means to be in a position where someone is looking for you. The clinic`s students have successfully represented clients from countries as diverse as China, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania, Mali, Guinea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico. In teams of two and under faculty supervision, students are responsible for all aspects of client advocacy, including interviews, legal and factual research and analysis, case theory and narrative theory development, affidavit preparation, short writing, negotiation, and fact and expert preparation. Students then act as lead defense counsel during the trial, presenting opening and closing arguments and conducting all direct and cross-examination of their client and other witnesses. Years of in-house clinical legal training that put students in the driver`s seat « At the clinic, I learned all the client and probation skills I learned on the Penn Law campus, » Matthew Jerrehian told L`21. « We were put in the shoes of public interest lawyers – we had to learn quickly and work hard in a broken system.

It`s a completely different experience than a show trial, » he said. For Carolyn Rice L`21, learning how to effectively interview a client has been one of the most valuable parts of her clinical experience. However, inspired by the dedication, patience and expertise of the clinic`s teachers, Zouai learned « to channel my frustrations » to fight for « the best possible legal outcome for our clients. » In the end, she enrolled in the clinic for three consecutive semesters. Profesor Sarah Paoletti: When I look at the cases that we will be dealing with in the clinic, especially in immigration cases, I always look for cases where a lawyer makes a difference.