Academic Calendar

Course Descriptions

Clinical Programs

Golden Gate has one of the most extensive clinical legal education programs in the country. Students earn academic credit while working under the supervision of a full-time faculty member and a practicing attorney.
Information

* Externship Clinic Info Sheet - Includes instructions for finding a placement.

* Clinics & Externships: Course Descriptions and Contact Information

* Information for Prospective Supervising Attorneys

Handbooks

* Student Clinic Handbook

* Supervising Attorney Handbook

Applications

* Externship Application

* Judicial Externship Application

FAQ

* Externship Clinic Program Frequently Asked Questions

The on-site clinics operate as law offices within the School of Law, providing legal representation to low-income individuals and community groups who would not otherwise be able to afford legal counsel. Environmental Law and Justice Clinic (ELJC)
Clinic Director: Associate Professor Helen Kang
Students provide direct representation to community groups and environmental organizations in low-income and minority communities disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation. ELJC contact information

Women's Employment Rights Clinic
Clinic Director: Professor Marci Seville
Supervising Attorney: Hina Shah, Visiting Professor and Clinical Staff Attorney
Students represent clients in employment disputes including unemployment insurance appeals, race and sex discrimination, sexual harassment, family and medical leave, and wage and hour claims. WERC contact information

LLM 306 Pro Bono Tax Clinic
Clinic Director and Professor: Kimberly Stanley - Associate Dean & Director of LLM Tax (contact kstanley@ggu.edu)
The Pro Bono Tax Clinic provides students with the opportunity to assist low-income individuals in certain tax disputes before the California Board of Equalization ("BOE"). Under the direct supervision of a BOE attorney, the students provide legal assistance with claims involving Renter's Assistance Credits, California Residency issues, and Head of Household status, among other issues. The students meet regularly with a BOE attorney who instructs them about the relevant law and assists them in the development of their clients' factual and legal arguments. The students draft procedural letters, legal memoranda and briefs that are submitted to the BOE. Students may also have the opportunity to argue the client's case at a BOE hearing.

All GGU JD's and LLM Tax students are eligible to participate in the Pro Bono Tax Clinic. There is no prerequisite for this course, although Federal Income Tax or Characterization of Income & Expenditures is recommended. Students can earn up to a maximum of 2 units for participation in the Clinic. All units can transfer to the LLM Tax degree. Capital Post-Conviction Defense Clinic
Civil Field Placement Clinic
Criminal Litigation Clinic
Environmental Law Clinic
Environmental LLM Externship
Family Law Clinic
Judicial Externships
Homeless Advocacy Clinic
Real Estate Clinic
Youth Law Clinic

In field placement clinics, students work under faculty supervision and the supervision of judges and attorneys in government agencies, law offices, counsel offices, and judges' chambers. Students also attend a seminar to share experiences and insights and to focus on the substantive nature of their work. The Externship Supervisor and Extern Agreement form may be downloaded.

LAW 896J Externship: Capital Post-Conviction Defense Clinic (Fall)
Faculty supervisor: Adjunct Professor Patricia Kern (contact: pkern@capsf.org or phone (415) 495-0500)
Students attend a weekly seminar and work on capital cases at the California Appellate Project, a non-profit serving the largest population of condemned individuals in the country. Students research and draft pleadings and investigate post-conviction claims for death row inmates. To apply mail, fax, or email a completed externship application form, listed above, and a resume to the attention of Patricia Kern, Deputy Director of the California Appellate Project (CAP), 101 Second Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, California 94105; fax: (415) 495-5616.

LAW 896A Externship: Civil Field Placement Clinic
Faculty supervisor: Adjunct Professor Jennifer Wyllie-Pletcher (contact: jwpletcher@yahoo.com)
Students work in private or non-profit law offices, government agencies, or business legal departments as law clerks, working on civil litigation or engaging in transactional work. Students also attend seminar class meetings. Students may work in a wide variety of areas such as civil rights, corporate law, entertainment law, family law, intellectual property law, international law, and personal injury law.

LAW 896F Externship: Criminal Litigation Clinic
Program Director and Spring Faculty Supervisor: Professor Susan Rutberg (contact: srutberg@ggu.edu); Summer and Fall Faculty supervisor: Adjunct Professor Susan Leff (contact: leffs@hotmail.com)
Students work as law clerks in a variety of trial and post-conviction prosecution or defense agencies supervised by experienced criminal lawyers and faculty. Students certified by the California State Bar may appear in court under supervision. Students also attend a weekly seminar to explore broader criminal justice issues and to learn from guest practitioners and each other.

LAW 834I Externship: Environmental Law Clinic (Spring)
Faculty supervisor: Professor Alan Ramo (contact: aramo@ggu.edu)
Students work in government agencies, public interest groups, or environmental organizations engaged in environmental practice.

LLM 375E Externship: Environmental LLM Externship
Faculty supervisor: Professor Alan Ramo (contact: aramo@ggu.edu)
LLM Environmental students work at an organization, agency or firm engaged in environmental law.

LAW 837D Externship: Family Law Clinic (Spring)
Faculty supervisor: Adjunct Professor Florence Sinay Phillips (contact: attyfsphillips@aol.com)
This externship is designed to address a vastly underserved population: low income persons and families with urgent family law issues. Students will be placed with non-profit organizations, government agencies, and private attorneys specializing in Family Law, to handle all aspects of Family Law cases at all stages, from client interview to representation at court hearings, assisting in trials, and writing legal briefs.

LAW 896C Externship: Judicial Externships
Faculty supervisors: Associate Dean Susanne Aronowitz and Director Jody Lerner (contact: saronowitz@ggu.edu or jlerner@ggu.edu)
Students work in judges' chambers at all levels of state and federal courts with a full range of judicial assignments including courts handling civil trials, family and juvenile law, bankruptcy, law and motion, criminal law, and appellate matters.

LAW 824D Externship: Homeless Advocacy Clinic (Spring)
Faculty supervisor: Adjunct Professor Katie Danielson (contact: kdanielson@sfbar.org)
Students learn counseling, interviewing, and negotiating skills through simulations, then act as advocates for real clients through the Homeless Advocacy Project, which is sponsored by the Bar Association of San Francisco.

LAW 883 Externship: Real Estate Clinic (Fall-Transactions; Spring--Litigation)
Faculty supervisor: Adjunct Professor Christine Tour-Sarkissian (contact: christine@tslo.com)
Students work in law firms that specialize in, or do considerable work in, real estate. Working under the direct supervision of attorneys, students interview clients, draft pleadings and motions, and participate in trial preparation and trials. On the transactional side, they draft provisions for leases, sales contracts, closing papers, loan documents, and other real estate instruments.

LAW 896Y Externship: Youth Law Clinic (Fall and Spring)
Faculty supervisors: Adjunct Professor Stephen Rosenbaum (spring) and Adjunct Professor Abigail Trillin (fall) (contact: srosenbaum@law.berkeley.edu or Abigail@lsc-sf.org)
Students work in non-profit law offices, government agencies or private offices as law externs, engaged in litigation, administrative hearings, ADR (alternative dispute resolution) or other advocacy on behalf of children or youth. Students also attend seminar class meetings, with an emphasis on reflective lawyering, professional responsibility, skills and practice issues. Students may work in a wide variety of substantive law areas such as juvenile justice, dependency, education, disability, mental health and/or civil rights.