Clinics

Appellate Advocacy Clinic
At UDM School of Law students have the opportunity to participate in appellate representations for actual clients while honing your legal writing abilities. This clinic brings together faculty members and attorneys at the State Appellate Defender’s Office (SADO) to assist you in writing briefs on behalf of indigent clients for the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court.

Criminal Trial Clinic
Students in the Criminal Trial Clinic at UDM work with misdemeanor cases in area district courts under the supervision of a UDM clinical faculty member with experience in misdemeanor criminal actions. Students must be available for court at least once afternoon each week. Classes take place at the district court. Evidence and Criminal Law or Criminal Procedure are prerequisites.

Environmental Law Clinic
The Environmental Law Clinic is scheduled to begin as a pilot in the Winter '08 term. The clinic will be quite unique, in that the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law has been given the opportunity to work with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Environmental Enforcement Section of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., bringing environmental enforcement actions on behalf of various U.S. agencies. As the clinic will be handling actions on behalf of the federal government, the Director of the UDM clinic has been appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District, and the students must successfully complete a security clearance in order to participate in the clinic. The students will handle environmental enforcement matters referred from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or the U.S. Coast Guard. The matters are brought in Federal District Court under such federal environmental statutes as the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Under this relationship with the U.S. Attorney's office, the students will gain an in-depth understanding of how to litigate complex environmental statutes while obtaining insight into the workings of the Justice Department and various federal agencies.

Immigration Law Clinic
UDM School of Law established the Immigration Law Clinic to serve indigent clients who seek protection from extreme political, religious, ethnic and physical persecution in their home countries. In Detroit they get a fresh start with the help of UDM School of Law students who act as lead counsel under the supervision of faculty. Students work one-on-one with clients to prepare their applications for asylum, and advocate on their behalf before the U.S. Immigration Court in Detroit. Since the inception of the Immigration Law Clinic, UDM School of Law students have successfully represented clients from the Congo, Uganda, Ukraine, China, Ethiopia, Albania, and other countries.

Mediation Clinic
In partnership with the Neighborhood Reconciliation Center’s mediation services in Detroit, UDM School of Law created a curriculum that allows students to earn certification as a court-approved mediator. Acting under the supervision of a faculty member, students mediate actual disputes in the courts dealing with property damage, neighbor issues, consumer/merchant disputes, business and contract disputes, and more.

Mobile Law Office
UDM School of Law is a pioneer in extending the clinical/classroom setting into the field with this mobile law office. This mobile facility takes UDM School of Law students, clinical professors and practicing attorneys into the community to provide free, immediate legal assistance, counseling, and referrals to needy clients. Students work side-by-side with pro bono lawyers to conduct interviews, solve problems and provide guidance to disadvantaged, indigent and elderly clients who otherwise might not be able to see a lawyer. In some cases, legal issues can be resolved on the spot with this mobile office, which includes meeting rooms and a legal reference library connected via wireless internet. When further help is needed, cases are referred to one of UDM School of Law’s specialized clinics or to an appropriate agency. More>

Urban Law Clinic
Through UDM School of Law’s Urban Law Clinic, students work under the supervision of experienced attorneys and appear in various Michigan courts representing indigent seniors. School of Law students have represented:

• fraud cases
• identity theft cases
• health benefit cases
• predatory lending matters
• economic abuse cases

Students have direct contact with clients while still in school and get firsthand experience interviewing, researching, drafting and advocating through motions, hearings and trials. This clinic also features a community outreach program that allows you to counsel seniors on how to identify and avoid consumer scams. The Urban Law Clinic, which began in 1965, has had a history of producing well-known judges, high-level litigators, and other leaders in the law. More >

Veterans Law Clinic
The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law has pioneered a Veterans Law Clinic to address the compelling legal needs of veterans. The Clinic focuses on veterans' legal issues through representation, pro bono attorney referral, and education.

The Veterans Law Clinic represents low and moderate income veterans in their disability claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs, Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and Court of Veterans Appeals. Under the supervision of the clinic instructor, students interview clients, draft briefs, and argue before administrative agencies and appeals courts. The Clinic also provides education and outreach to veterans through the Mobile Law Office. Students and clinic professors speak to veterans throughout Michigan through presentations regarding disability and other veterans' issues. Lastly, Veterans Law Clinic has established a network of private attorneys who have agreed to represent veterans without attorney fees. These pro bono attorneys are able to represent veterans in some cases the clinic does not handle. The clinic and its pro bono attorneys do not address criminal or fee-generating matters.

To contact the Veterans Law Clinic for assistance, please call 313.596.0262.

Related:
Project SALUTE National Veterans Tour