LAWS 2092 ‑ Criminal Clinic

CREDIT HOURS: 9

The clinical course in criminal law offers an opportunity to enhance advocacy skills, get out of the classroom and experience the reality of criminal trial practice. This course has both a clinical and an academic component. Each student is assigned to a crown counsel, defence lawyer or possibly a judge, and observes and participates as far as possible in the criminal law work of that person. For this period each student must spend a minimum of 16-20 hours a week with the principal. The academic component is dealt with in two weekly seminars, each of two hours, which run throughout the term. The seminars focus upon lawyering skills including interviewing, trial preparation and advocacy skills using simulation exercises as the vehicle for learning. The seminars also focus upon matters relating to criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence, criminology and legal ethics. All-day tours of facilities such as penitentiaries and crime labs may also be arranged. Written memoranda are required and students will choose from a vast array of criminal law topics arising out of the many actual criminal court trials and cases students will be involved in. This is a 9-credit clinical course and class attendance is mandatory. Non-attendance without prior written permission of the Studies Committee will result in a failure.

Prerequisite(s): None.
Co-requisite(s): None.
Assessment Method: Honours/Pass/Fail. Individual feedback is given to students throughout the class. An evaluation of each student's performance in each aspect of the class is provided at the end. A student's grade is not counted in determining his/her weighted average. However, in the event of failure because of a weighted average below 55, or as with the Legal Aid Clinic, where the student is otherwise no longer academically entitled to complete their JD degree, a numerical grade will be assigned for inclusion in the weighted average. 
Restrictions: Students who have completed or wish to complete LAWS 2003 Clinical Law or LAWS 2046 Criminal Trial Practice are not eligible. This course is restricted to Third Year students only.

*This course is unavailable to International Linkages students.