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Law Clinics

Appellate Clinic

In the Appellate Clinic, students brief and argue cases in the United States Courts of Appeals, gaining essential experience in federal appellate practice.

About the Clinic

The Appellate Clinic primarily represents clients in pro bono, court-appointed cases involving civil rights or criminal appeals, but the Clinic can handle all manner of federal appeals.

Practical Experience:

  • Regular client interaction and communication
  • Intensive analysis of case records
  • Substantial legal research
  • Drafting, revising, and finalizing appellate briefs

In addition to the Clinic’s primary casework, students may have an opportunity to draft an appellate amicus brief.

In the Classroom

The Appellate Clinic also involves a weekly classroom seminar where students learn various aspects of appellate practice, including:

  • Advanced appellate writing techniques
  • Best practices for case management
  • Federal appellate procedure
  • Judicial decision-making processes
  • Supreme Court practice
  • Moot oral argument presentations
Faculty

Faculty Director

Steve Alagna

Interim Director of the Appellate Advocacy Clinic, Lecturer in Law

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