Clinic Descriptions

The Clinical Semester Program is open to students who will be 3 L Day students or 4 L Evening students who have completed the required prerequisites by the time of their program participation.  Evening students are eligible to enroll in full-time clinics if their schedules can accommodate a full-time commitment during the day.  Day students may enroll in the part-time ADR clinic, but Evening students will be given a preference for available spaces. Review carefully the prerequisites for each clinic in which you are interested.

Please note that clinics with insufficient subscription will be canceled after the lottery bidding process has been completed.

NOTE:No student shall be permitted to enroll in a full time clinic in the last semester of law school unless that student has earned at least a 2.60 cumulative grade point average by the beginning of the semester prior to the last semester in law school.

Students who enroll in the Children & Families Clinic, the Criminal Justice Clinic or the Environmental and Land Use Law Clinic may become authorized as Certified Legal Interns (CLIs).  Please carefully note the Florida Board of Bar Examiners (FBBE) new rule regarding the Certified Legal Internship (CLI) program if you are planning to participate in a clinical semester during your final year of law school.  Please file your bar application early, preferably your first year of law school, as you must receive an initial clearance letter from the FBBE to be eligible for the CLI program.  See additional Information located on the FBBE FAQ page at www.floridabarexam.org.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic (part-time)

The legal profession increasingly relies on alternative dispute resolution. The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Clinic provides student interns with ample opportunity to serve as third-party neutrals, learn ADR law, compare ADR options and improve communication and lawyering skills. Students mediate or arbitrate cases that may include diversionary cases for juveniles arrested for misdemeanors; restitution mediation for victims and offenders; mediation of discrimination cases; County Court mediation; community dispute mediation; and court-annexed arbitration or conciliation. Students may also create ADR programs for entities and assist with Teen Court by serving as judge or by preparing teen-aged students who “try” cases of alleged juvenile offenders. Prerequisites

Business Practice Clinic

The Business Practice Clinic prepares students to enter the challenging field of business law. Clinic students have the opportunity to develop transactional skills, including planning, interviewing, counseling, negotiation, and drafting. Following the clinic’s instructional component, students are placed with a corporate law office, business law firm, or government/ administrative legal department where they are mentored by an experienced business law attorney.  Prerequisites

Children and Families Clinic

The Children and Families Clinic focuses on the legal needs of individuals, with particular emphasis on the economically disadvantaged. Family law constitutes one of the primary components of civil practice, particularly for practitioners in small firms. Along with the Criminal Justice Clinic, this clinic provides the most extensive litigation experience. Key areas of legal representation include custody and divorce, benefits, employment, housing, and health. Students serve as interns either in the NSU in-house civil clinic, under the supervision of NSU Law professor-practitioners, or in a legal-aid or government office that provides legal assistance to children and families. The NSU in-house clinic handles cases referred by outside agencies and deals with legal problems encountered by children and families who cannot afford a lawyer. Cases include issues pertaining to the dissolution of a marriage—such as child support, child custody or visitation; and juvenile dependency and the termination of parental rights. The clinic also handles international cases referred by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  Prerequisites

Criminal Justice Clinic

Many students practice in the area of criminal law immediately upon graduation from law school. Students enrolled in the Criminal Justice Clinic are schooled in the practical aspects of trial preparation and may participate in actual trials. Students have the opportunity to serve as interns in prosecutors and public defenders offices in South Florida and around the country. Prerequisites

Environmental and Land Use Law Clinic

The Environmental and Land Use Law Clinic at NSU is a program and opportunity for third year law students to work on real world cases for government agencies, private law firms, and public interest firms across the country. It offers unique and varied opportunities to practice in south Florida , a region that is home to the Everglades , and on the cutting edge of land use and environmental law. The “in house” clinic offers the opportunity to work for the Everglades Law Center , a public interest law firm whose representation of national, state – wide and local environmental groups on major federal, state and local issues concerning the protection and restoration of the Florida Everglades and Keys exposes students to the laws, players, processes and other realities of high-profile complex public policy advocacy and litigation. The Clinic director and General Counsel of the Everglades Law Center Inc. is Professor Richard Grosso , an experienced and widely recognized legal expert and policy advocate with 22 years of experience litigating and advocating on state-wide and south Florida environmental issues. Under the direction of Professor Grosso, who also teaches Florida Land Development Law Workshop, acts as faculty advisor to the Environmental Law Society, directs a summer pro bono program, and maintains a staff of four Research Assistants, the Clinic is part of a comprehensive environmental and land use program at the Law Center under which students have the opportunity to learn about south Florida's environment, the laws impacting that environment, and the legal and political players shaping the future of south Florida. Students also have the opportunity to inter-act with an Alumni group made up of former clinical interns, Research Assistants, Environmental Law Society students and summer pro bono volunteers, many of whom are now leaders in the field and offer invaluable professional networking and mentoring opportunities.

International Practice Clinic

In recent years, the practice of law has become increasingly dominated by global concerns. Students enrolled in the International Practice Clinic explore key issues involving both public and private concerns, such as the impact of treaties, peacekeeping and human rights, intellectual property, and practical applications of international business regulations. Some Clinic interns may be placed with international organizations devoted to humanitarian efforts. Others might serve as interns in private law firms that specialize in international business law. Yet other students may choose to work in the area of immigration.  Prerequisites

Personal Injury Litigation Clinic

The wide range of civil tort litigation reflects the diverse nature of modern personal injury practice. The Personal Injury Litigation Clinic provides students with opportunities to develop the lawyering skills needed in evaluating, preparing, settling, and trying personal injury cases. Students are exposed to various aspects of tort litigation, including client and witness interviewing, pleadings, discovery and motion documents, hearings, depositions, mediations, and trials. While serving as clinic interns, students acquire “hands on” dispute resolution skills under the supervision of experienced private attorneys who act as their mentors. Prerequisites