Legal Clinics/ Experiential Education

Certified Legal Intern:

The College of Law strongly recommends that students interested in enrolling in a clinic or field placement become a Certified Legal Intern (“CLI”) pursuant to the requirements of the Student Practice Rule of the Florida Bar. Students who become certified can appear and argue in court, sign legal documents, and handle a range of case advocacy and litigation responsibilities. CLI is invaluable in maximizing your experiential learning opportunities and can improve the chances for employment after graduation.

To become CLI eligible students must register with the Florida Board of Bar Examiners and receive a “Notice of Registrant Clearance.” Because this process takes time, students should file their application during the first year of law school. Students who are not sure or do not intend to sit for the FL Bar can also apply to become a CLI. Once you receive your clearance letter and are enrolled in a CLI eligible clinic or field placement, clinic faculty will assist you in completing the process.

Field Placements:

Field placements offer students semester-long opportunities to leave the traditional classroom setting and, under supervision of a clinic faculty member and a licensed attorney at an approved site, engage directly in the practice of law. Students may receive up to 4 credits during the fall and spring semesters, and up to 6 credits in summer (with clinic faculty approval). Students can earn no more than 9 total field placement credits.

The Field Placement course requires both direct legal work at the placement site and a seminar class that requires submission of weekly time logs, written assignments, and class attendance and participation. Students must timely complete both on-site hours required and all seminar assignments to get credit for the course.

Pre-approved placement sites include judicial externships, government agencies, public interest organizations, non-profit organizations, law firms, and corporate legal offices.  The College of Law maintains a regularly updated list of sites that are seeking students. Placements are not limited to those sites, but any other proposed field placement site must be approved by the Clinic Director. The field placement must offer activities similar to a lawyer representing a client; you cannot get credit for tasks normally completed by administrative assistants, paralegals, or legal assistants.

Students are responsible for applying directly to the site where they wish to serve their field placement. Once a student secures a field placement opportunity, the student must complete and submit a field placement application. The application must be signed by the student and the attorney who will serve as the placement site supervisor and include the student’s resume and transcript. If the application is approved, the student will then be authorized to register for the course.