Through the OU College of Law Civil Clinic and Criminal Defense Clinic, students represent clients from Cleveland and McClain counties who would not otherwise be able to afford counsel. Operating under the close supervision of faculty attorneys, student interns face many of the same situations and practice demands they will encounter as attorneys while being directly responsible for representation of clients as licensed legal interns practicing under the Oklahoma Supreme Court Student Practice Rules.
Students who have had clinical or field experiences develop clearer career goals and are better prepared for learning on their own and working effectively with others. This opportunity to “learn by experience” maximizes the benefits of hands-on learning as students apply lessons from the classroom to the practice of law.
Our goal is to ensure all students have a range of cases that allows them sufficient time to provide their clients vigorous, competent representation while gaining experience in all aspects of law practice. Clinic interns are the primary point of contact for their clients and are responsible for the handling of the case under the guidance of supervising attorneys. Interns interview clients and witnesses, conduct factual investigations and site visits, draft and file pleadings, negotiate with opposing counsel and make court appearances.
Clinic students also have the opportunity to attend a dinner with Cleveland and McClain County judges, giving them the unique opportunity to visit with sitting judges in a relaxed and informal setting.
A clinic may be repeated for an additional three hours of Experiential Learning credit.
The Civil Clinic offers law students the opportunity to represent low-income persons in a variety of cases and disputes. Students handle a mixed caseload of family law, public benefits, and general civil cases.
Prerequisites:
Civil Procedure; Evidence and Professional Responsibility or concurrent enrollment in Evidence and Professional Responsibility; and a Legal Intern License.
The Criminal Defense Clinic provides law students the opportunity to represent a mixed caseload of indigent defendants, from initial appearance through trial or sentencing, charged with certain felony, misdemeanor or municipal offenses in Cleveland or McClain counties.
Prerequisites:
Civil Procedure; Evidence and Professional Responsibility or concurrent enrollment in Evidence and Professional Responsibility; and a Legal Intern License.
During or prior to the first semester of enrollment in a live-client clinic, students must also enroll in the three-credit-hour classroom component, Litigation Skills. Members of the clinical faculty teach the course. In this classroom component, the role of an attorney is explored as students simulate the representation of a client from the initial interview to a resolution hearing.
Through simulation exercises, students learn and practice various professional skills such as interviewing, counseling, and negotiating. The classroom exercises are recorded, giving students a chance to hone basic advocacy techniques and critique their performances. The class requires students to reflect critically upon their experiences and foster the ability to learn from experience.
A legal intern license is required to participate in the OU Legal Clinic’s live-client clinics.
Forms and applications can be found in the Licensed Legal Interns Forms section of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma on Legal Internship. Students can pick up information from Jasmine Mohammadi, Room 2020, or call her at (405) 325-3433 regarding the requirements and process.
Prior Coursework
A student must have completed 45 hours of law school work with a cumulative GPA of 4.0 or better and must have taken Evidence, Civil Procedure and Professional Responsibility courses before being sworn in as a legal intern. A student will be allowed to take the Licensed Legal Intern Exam while completing these requirements.
The first semester a student uses a legal intern license (either under the supervision of a private attorney, DA's office, PD's office, agency, etc. or in conjunction with an externship placement) he/she is required to enroll in the ISSUES IN PROFESSIONALISM course (this is not the same course as Professional Responsibility "PR").
Registration
A student must be registered as a law student with the Board of Bar Examiners. If you are registered as a law student in another state, you may not have to register in Oklahoma. (See Rule 2.1{d}, Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma on Legal Internship (PDF, opens in a new window)). If you plan to register NUNC PRO TUNC, please be warned that it could take four to six months to get final approval from the Board of Bar Examiners.
Application
A student must submit an application for a limited license with $50.00 non-refundable fee to the Oklahoma Bar Association one week prior to taking the legal intern examination. An application for a limited license (Form 1 and instructions) can be found in the forms section of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma on Legal Internship (PDF, opens in a new window). Forms and applications are also available from Jasmine Mohammadi in Room 2020.
Application and Examination Deadline
Check with Jasmine Mohammadi in Room 2020.
Supervising Attorney
A student must submit a supervising attorney application (Form 2) for approval to the Oklahoma Bar Association. A student cannot be sworn in as a Legal Intern until a supervising attorney is obtained and approved.
Enrollment
A student must be enrolled in one of the following courses or be registered in the Legal Internship Program before being sworn in as a Legal Intern:
- Civil Clinic/Legal Aid Clinic (Law 6363) - 3 hours of credit - A student works l0-12 hours per week in the OU Legal Clinic office and handles various civil cases from an initial interview through trial. Enrollment in the Litigation Skills Class (Law 6400 - 2 hours) is required the initial semester of enrollment in the Civil Clinic. A required orientation meeting is scheduled during the first week of classes.
- Criminal Defense Clinic (Law 6323) - 3 hours of credit - A student works 10-12 hours per week in the OU Legal Clinic office and handles various criminal and municipal cases from an initial interview stage through trial. Enrollment in the Litigation Skills Class (Law 6400 -2 hours) is required the initial semester of enrollment in the Criminal Defense Clinic. A required orientation meeting is scheduled during the first week of classes.
A student must either continue to be enrolled each semester in the OU Legal Clinic or be registered in the Legal Internship Program in order for their Legal Intern License to remain "active". Students register in the Legal Internship Program in Jasmine Mohammadi's Office (Room 2020) during the first two weeks of each semester. (Students who are enrolled in the OU Legal Clinic are not required to be registered in the Legal Internship Program.)
The first semester a student uses a legal intern license (either under the supervision of a private attorney, DA's office, PD's office, agency, etc. or in conjunction with an externship placement) he/she is required to enroll in the Issues in Professionalism course (this is not the same course as Professional Responsibility "PR"). Students using their intern license in connection with one of the live client clinics are required to take Litigation Skills (Law 6400 § 604) during the first semester of enrollment in either live-client clinic (Civil or Criminal).
Swearing-In Ceremony
A student will be sworn in as a Legal Intern when all requirements for a limited license have been met. The ceremony is scheduled by the Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA) and is held in the Supreme Courtroom at the Judicial Center at 2100 N. Lincoln, OKC, OK. A Legal Intern must notify the OBA immediately of any changes in status in his/her supervising attorney and/or to notify the OBA to inactivate his/her license due to unemployment as a Legal Intern
This examination is broken into two sections:
- All students will sit for Section A which covers the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma on Legal Internship (PDF, opens in a new window). This is a one-hour, timed exam consisting of 50 true/false questions.
- If you have not yet taken or did not obtain the minimum passing score for Oklahoma on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (opens in new window), you will also sit for Section B which covers the Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct (Title 5, chapter 1, Appendix 3-A). This is a one-hour, timed exam consisting of 50 true/false questions. You will have a total of two hours to complete both Sections A and B.
Application
Students must register at least one week prior to the exam date. You must complete Form 1. The Form 1 and $50 application fee must be sent to the OBA and a copy of the Form 1 must be turned into the Legal Clinic Rm. 2020 by the registration deadline.
Clinics Contact
OU Legal Clinic
Andrew M. Coats Hall
300 Timberdell Road
Norman, OK 73019
Phone: (405) 325-3702
Fax: (405) 325-7758
Email: legalclinic@ou.edu