DU Law Clinics: Practical Experience

Any well-rounded legal education must strive not merely to teach students theory and how to "think about" the law, but also must equip them with some practical skills that can be readily applied to work outside of academia. There are a number of ways that law schools can help students develop those skills, but one of the very best is through the availability of clinic programs. Clinic programs generally allow law students - under the supervision of faculty mentors - the chance to work on real-world cases from start to finish. Here at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Lawwe are fortunate to have one of the oldest and very best clinical programs in the nation.

Always at the forefront of clinical legal education, the University of Denver was responsible for starting the very first legal aid clinic in the United States. As recounted by Reginald Heber Smith in Justice and the Poor: a Study of the Present Denial of Justice to the Poor and of the Agencies Making More Equal Their Position Before the Law, With Particular Reference to Legal Aid Work in the United States,
"… in Denver a departure was made of much interest in the field of legal education, when the local law school started "The Legal Aid Dispensary of Denver." The instructor in practice was made the attorney and the senior students were used as his assistants. The plan was too successful and had to be abandoned. The character of the service given was so high that hundreds of persons applied. The rising cost entailed thereby exceeded the funds at the disposal of the law school, and as neither the lawyers nor the charities would help, the project was discontinued in 1910."

Before too long, the DU clinic program returned, and as it now stands the program represents interests of the pubic across a range of topics. There are today six specialized in-house clinics at DU:

- Civil Litigation Clinic
- Civil Rights Clinic
- Community Economic Development Clinic
- Criminal Defense Clinic
- Environmental Law Clinic
- Mediation and Arbitration Clinic

For more information on any of the clinics, including how to get involved as a student or apply for assistance as a member of the community, visit the appropriate link to the specialized clinic above. To keep abreast of developments in all of the clinics, be sure to check out the Denver Law Clinical Programs Clinical Review published every semester.

See the Sturm College of Law History Exhibit for historical photos and articles about the Clinic. We also have a video from the 1970's that shows students explore issues of law and social change through internships and “practice programs” sponsored by the College of Law. Various settings described include the Urban Center, area high schools, legislative and model cities committees.