The University of Nebraska College of Law Clinics are a great place for our students to figure out what it takes to actually “be” a lawyer. Once senior status is obtained (60 credit hours completed) students are eligible to enroll in one of our four clinics – Civil, Criminal, Immigration and Entrepreneurship. http://law.unl.edu/curriculum#clinics While participating in a clinic, our students gain invaluable insight into what it actually means to “be” a lawyer. As an added bonus, during their clinical experience many of our students also learn what area(s) of law are, or are not, their cup of tea!
Students participating in a Nebraska Law clinic will gain experience drafting legal documents; communicating with clients and counsel; and, appearing in court and advocating before a judge. Depending on which clinic they participate in, students can gain experience in civil and criminal law. Civil Clinic students will work with clients who are experiencing issues primarily in the areas of bankruptcy, family law and landlord/tenant law. Those students participating in the Immigration Clinic will work with clients facing family-based immigration and/or deportation issues and assist clients with asylum applications and Special Immigrant Juvenile Cases. For students interested in a career in criminal law, the Nebraska Law Criminal Clinic offers students the unique opportunity to prosecute misdemeanor, and sometimes felony, cases. Because of the nature of the work, students taking the Criminal Clinic are in the courtroom on a regular basis. The Civil and Immigration Clinics are run by Professor Kevin Ruser, http://law.unl.edu/facstaff/faculty/resident/kruser.shtml, and the Criminal Clinic is run by Professor Steve Schmidt who is also a Deputy County Attorney, http://law.unl.edu/facstaff/faculty/resident/sschmidt.shtml.
Nebraska Law’s newest clinic is the Entrepreneurship Clinic which will open its doors in the spring of 2013. Students participating in this clinic will work with start-up business owners providing them with guidance and advice as their businesses form and take shape. While this clinic will be a great option for students interested in careers in business and corporate law, we hope it may also inspire some of our students to become entrepreneurs themselves! Students taking the Entrepreneurship Clinic will learn from Professor Brett Stohs, http://law.unl.edu/resident-faculty.