LSU May Create Much-Desired Clinical Education Program
Encouraged by the American Bar Association to do so, officials of a Louisiana law school are trying to establish a clinical education program there.
The ABA is urging Louisiana State University Law Center to create a legal clinic that would offer students a chance to get some hands-on experience before graduating, reports the Advocate. If LSU doesn’t do so, presumably because of a lack of funding (although money is now being sought), LSU faces a possible risk to its ABA accreditation, the newspaper says.
ABA accreditation standards call for law schools to provide “substantial opportunities” for students to gain pro bono experience, but also considers non-law school activities, such as externships in courts and law offices, in this realm.
“Essentially, what we need to do is build what amounts to a small law firm here,” says Jack Weiss, the law school’s chancellor. He is keen on doing so, the newspaper reports, but needs funding from the state to pay for a LSU clinical program.
Students and professors welcome the possibility of a clinical program, the Advocate notes.
“Having a clinical program at LSU is more than just a necessity,” says Chris Odinet, a first-year student. “It’s a shame we haven’t had one before.”
