University of Houston Clinical Legal Programs

Under the guidance and supervision of clinical faculty, law students handle all aspects of cases, from interviewing, to filing motions, to conducting trials in court.  Legal clinics offer law students an opportunity to have hands-on, practical experience in the legal profession while still in law school.

The mission of The Clinical Legal Education Program is threefold:

• To train law students to be competent, professional, and ethical advocates for their clients
• To provide first-rate pro-bono legal representation to indigent clients and communities in Harris County in the areas of law covered by the particular clinic
• To provide support to the courts and legislature and to develop policies that can improve the surrounding communities

 

Students in the Civil Practice Clinic work on a wide variety of civil cases, including bankruptcy, collection, landlord-tenant, divorce, domestic violence, administrative appeals, adoption, will drafting, guardianships, name changes, and probate.

 

Students in the Criminal Defense Clinic will be assigned misdemeanor cases and be responsible for handling all legal aspects of the case from arraignment to fact investigation to trial. Students will be exposed to a wide range of cases such as assaults, thefts, driving while intoxicated, and drug possession. Students will have the opportunity to investigate crime scenes and interview witnesses.

 

The Consumer Law Clinic is one of the few of its kind in the country.  Law students learn the law through a mixture of theory and actual hands-on experience representing low-income clients in Justice Court, County Court, and District Court.  Cases include claims under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, as well as credit and debt-collection problems and landlord-tenant complaints.