Clinical Programs
USC's clinical training programs are designed to develop lawyering skills of the highest quality. USC Law offers two types of clinical training: classroom courses that include simulated exercises, and supervised casework with actual clients. Through classroom exercises, students use hypothetical case materials in simulated law office and courtroom settings, with actors playing the roles of clients and witnesses. Then, students learn legal skills and principles by working on actual cases for real clients under the supervision of faculty member. The following clinical programs combine classroom exercises with client representation.
Children's Legal Issues Clinic
The clinic represents children and their caretakers in judicial and administrative proceedings ranging from guardianships for abused and neglected children to special-education entitlements.
The clinic offers non-profit corporations employment law counseling ranging from evaluating the legality of employee random drug testing to designing supervisor training programs on sexual harassment.
The clinic provides pro bono representation to clients in a variety of immigration cases including asylum, applications for relief under the Violence Against Women Act, and other applications for relief from removal.
In the Mediation Clinic, students learn the dispute resolution skills required to become professional mediators, and then apply those skills by mediating actual court cases.
Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic
A joint project of USC Law, the USC Annenberg Center for Communication, and USC Information Services Division, the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic represents clients in a wide-ranging set of projects related to cutting-edge issues in intellectual property and technology law.
Post-Conviction Justice Project
The clinic represents California federal and state inmates in post-conviction issues ranging from parole board hearings to petitions for writ of habeas corpus.
The Small Business Clinic provides basic corporate legal assistance to entrepreneurs, small businesses and non-profit organizations, ranging from entity selection and formation to contract drafting.
