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CLN- Comm Economic Developmt

Academic Year
Credits
2.00

COMMUNITY DVEVELOPMENT CLINIC - Students are advised to enroll in Business Organizations and Introduction to Taxation in conjunction with or prior to enrolling in this clinic. Clinic students represent small businesses, worker-owned cooperatives, nonprofit community-based organizations, and other groups supporting low-income, immigrant entrepreneurs on a variety of transactional matters, including business entity formation, governance, leasing, and loan/related financial closings. Students will have the opportunity to work won land use matters including issues related to displacement of commercial tenants, and community benefits agreements. The clinic operates on a partnership model where we join with community-based organizations in the Capital District to advance the interests of low-income, immigrant entrepreneurs through law. FAMILY VIOLENCE LITIGATION CLINIC - it is strongly recommended that students take Family Law in conjunction with or prior to this clinic. The Family Violence Litigation Clinic offers students challenging and rewarding opportunities to argue cases in course on behalf of persons who have suffered violence at the hands of intimate partners or family members. Students will learn about domestic violence dynamics and the substantive law, client counseling and fact investigation, as well as family court procedure. HEALTH LAW CLINIC Note: This clinic requires submission of a letter of intent with the application. The Health Law Clinic is designed to teach student interns to identify and address the legal issues which poor individuals living with chronic health conditions often face. Through faculty supervised representation of clients living with, or affected by, HIV or cancer, participating students acquire a broad range of practical lawyering skills in the areas of client interviewing, factual investigation, case planning, client counseling, and litigation advocacy. Student interns are admitted to practice under the Student Practice Rule which allows them to help clients access necessary health care, obtain public benefits, secure or maintain stable housing, establish court-approved emergency plans for the future care of children, and develop proxies which authorize health care agents to make health decisions. Participating interns typically take from this experience both a heightened confidence in their lawyering abilities and a broader perspective of their role in ensuring access to justice for the needy. Clinic clients typically report that the legal services provided relieve stress and allow them to focus their limited energy on their underlying health problems. IMMIGRATION LAW CLINIC It is strongly recommended that students take Family Law or Immigration Law in conjunction with or prior to this clinic. Students who participate in the ILC will be trained to provide direct representation to both detained and non-detained immigrants, including unaccompanied minors and immigrant victims of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault. The cases may include proceedings to obtain special immigrant juvenile status, applications under the Violence Against Women Act, representation of victims of violent crime in U-Visa applications ,adjustment applications, bond applications, and ay other claim for immigration relief that may be available. Students will learn and practice essential lawyering skills, such as interviewing and counseling clients. Conducting fact investigations and discovery, drafting; pleadings, correspondence, motions, analysis, working with translators, and appearing with clients in court. Students may also have the opportunity to write or argue an appellate case, conduct full evidentiary trails, appear before immigration authorities, and engage in community outreach.