Clinic - Helping Elders Through Litigaton and Policy Help Seminar

The Senior Citizen Law Office provides civil legal services to the elderly. Students work under the supervision of three staff attorneys and provide direct assistance to clients, performing many of the duties and responsibilities of attorneys. Activities include interviewing, counseling, negotiation, drafting of pleadings, legal research and case preparation. Students attend all legal proceedings, and whenever possible, directly represent clients at calendar calls, discovery proceedings, hearings, trials and appellate arguments. The program handles a substantial caseload at the administrative, trial and appellate levels in city, state and federal forums. Students experience in-depth involvement in a wide range of legal matters, including housing issues; government benefits and entitlements; health care; consumer issues; wills preparation and execution; and protective services for the impaired and at-risk. Students devote a minimum of 12 hours per week to clinic work (24 hours during the summer) and attend a weekly seminar. The seminar covers practical lawyering skills, ethics and professional responsibility, and current legal issues of particular concern to the elderly. A two-semester commitment is required, but may be scheduled flexibly.