Description
Dalhousie Legal Aid Service (the Clinic) provides third year students with an opportunity to practice lawyering skills in a community law office located in north-end Halifax. This thirteen-credit course can be taken over the Fall, Winter or Summer terms. Students can take one other course along with the clinic.While studying clinical law, students will conduct themselves as lawyers in a social justice context. As such, students will be responsible to counsel clients, negotiate with other lawyers, prepare cases and conduct hearings in Provincial and Supreme Courts as well as before administrative tribunals. Students are also exposed to files using law reform and community development as related to poverty law issues. All casework is supervised by staff lawyers or community legal workers. Each student initially receives 10-15 client files and community files. Formal seminar and skills training sessions take place during the first six weeks of the course. Skills training includes, interviewing and counselling, issue identification, building a theory, negotiation, direct examination, cross examination and basic trial skills. Seminars cover the topics of social assistance, residential tenancies, child protection, family and criminal law (YCJA), and law reform as well as other subject areas.Writing requirement: Students will create a Reflective Portfolio over the course of their term and submit selected evidence of their best written work. ENROLMENT: Limited to 16 students Fall and Winter; 12 students Summer.