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Clinical Education

Tulane’s clinics are the flagship of the school’s experiential learning program, allowing students unparalleled opportunities to work with expert faculty and provide direct client representation before state and federal courts, as well as legislative bodies and administrative agencies. Among the law school's various opportunities for experiential learning, only clinic students are sworn in to practice law under Louisiana's student-practice rule.

Tulane's clinical program has come a long way since its inception in 1979. Today, the clinics are situated in a dedicated wing of the law school building and have evolved into some of the most innovative programs in the nation. Each clinic is run by full-time faculty who bring deep expertise and community engagement to their work. The clinics' student attorneys work alongside some of the most highly regarded leaders in their fields. Clinical faculty, not outside lawyers, directly supervise and mentor student attorneys as they practice law and represent clients - earning up to a year of practice experience before graduation. 

Through their clinical work, Tulane Law students have dedicated thousands of hours of legal services to the local community, representing some of the most vulnerable members of society. Whether protecting an impoverished community from pollution, helping a victim escape a violent relationship, guarding against housing discrimination, fighting against draconian sentencing laws, representing justice-involved juveniles, or drafting legislation to improve healthcare coverage for children, Tulane’s clinical programs and the students who have passed through them have transformed the legal landscape of the local and statewide community.

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Civil Rights & Federal Practice Clinic

Student attorneys in the Civil Rights & Federal Practice Clinic take on cases involving a variety of civil rights issues, such as employment discrimination, fair housing, police misconduct and free speech.

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Criminal Justice Clinic

Students in the Criminal Justice Clinic represent indigent defendants charged with felonies and misdemeanors in the criminal district court, as well as federal crimes. Clinic students also brief and argue appeals in the state appellate courts, including the Louisiana Supreme Court.

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Domestic Violence Clinic

Students in the Domestic Violence Clinic train with a national expert in domestic violence litigation as they represent survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Louisiana’s trial and appellate courts through the Safe Homes Civil Law Project, the Domestic Violence Appeals Project, and the Women’s Prison Project for incarcerated survivors.

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Environmental Law Clinic Photo
Environmental Law Clinic

The Environmental Law Clinic handles cases involving pollution, hazardous waste, wildlife and endangered species, wetlands and coastal protection, energy conservation, transportation and urban environmental issues, including historic preservation. It is one of the first such clinics in the country.

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Juvenile Law Clinic

The Juvenile Litigation Clinic aids clients charged with theft, distribution of controlled substances, crimes against nature, rape and even murder. Student attorneys cover pre-trial motions, preliminary examinations, arraignments, competency hearings, trials and appeals.

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Student studying in the library
Legislative & Administrative Advocacy Clinic

The Public Law Center aids traditionally under-represented groups, such as the elderly and disabled, before state legislative and agency proceedings. Its staff and student attorneys have worked to pass laws in every session of the Louisiana legislature since 1990.

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Immigrant Rights Clinic

Students in the Immigrants’ Rights Law Clinic represent detainees, migrant workers, children and other immigrants with critical legal needs working through the U.S. Immigration system.

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First Amendment Clinic

Students in the First Amendment Clinic represent clients seeking to vindicate First Amendment rights of speech, the press, to petition and assembly under the supervision of faculty mentors.

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“These programs really gave me insight on the responsibility you have when representing a client, having their life-- their situation-- in your hands, it taught me how to be more thorough with my work and how to really pay attention to detail.” -- Catherine Nunez (L ’18), Criminal Justice Clinic, commercial real estate firm, Atlanta, GA

“I think … what is so valuable about the clinics, is that you don’t really get this experience anywhere else, you get direct client interaction, and you learn that this is not just abstract oral arguments, and legal points . . . There are real people behind these conflicts.” --  Coleman Torrens (L ’18), Criminal Justice Clinic, judicial law clerk, US District Court (EDLA)

"I had amazing mentors in law school. When I worked in the clinic, my professors provided amazing guidance to me. They helped me find jobs. They helped me deal with the pressures of law school. Without that mentorship I think I would have gone into the workforce with a different perception of how attorneys interact with each other. They really showed me the value of being professional, being yourself, and maintaining a sense of humor about all of it."  Morgan Kelley (L '18), Civil Rights and Federal Practice Clinic