Death Penalty Clinic (T. Alp*r, E. Sem*l)

Students in the Death Penalty Clinic work under the supervision of Professor Elisabeth Semel, the Clinic Director, and Professor Ty Alper, Associate Director, on capital direct appeals and post-conviction cases and occasionally on other matters relating to the death penalty and criminal law. Students will also be supervised by investigators and paralegals who are members of the legal teams assigned to individual cases. Students review trial records, interview clients and witnesses, examine evidence, work with experts, and prepare habeas corpus petitions, motions and briefs. Students are required to enroll in the Clinic for a full year. The Clinic is counsel for individuals under death sentence in California, Alabama, and North Carolina. In the past, the Clinic has served as counsel in additional litigation, such as representing amici curiae in capital cases before the United States Supreme Court.

The Clinic is administered like any law office and students must adhere scrupulously to rules regarding privilege and confidentiality. They will learn case management skills and should be prepared to work according to the demands of the litigation, including during breaks, when necessary. Our expectation is that students will work a minimum of 16 hours per week (in addition to team and individual meetings), though the actual number of hours may vary from week-to-week. Students should also expect to travel during the course of their participation in the Clinic, including during school breaks. Because of the demands of our cases, Death Penalty Clinic students may not enroll concurrently in another clinic or field placement. We will also screen students for potential conflicts of interest. Students who enroll in the Clinic will be expected to review significant portions of the trial record in one of our two direct representation cases during the summer in order to be prepared to begin work in the fall semester. Also, they must be available to attend a training program on the Friday and Saturday before fall classes begin.

Clinic students must also enroll in the Seminar, which is given in the fall semester. The Seminar provides the theoretical foundation and skills training for the Death Penalty Clinic. Because the Seminar will include discussions of our cases, it is only open to students who concurrently enroll in the Clinic. The Seminar meets weekly, most likely Wednesdays from 3:20 – 5:10 p.m. In addition, students will meet with their assigned teams every other week, most likely Thursday mornings.

Students who enroll in the Clinic for a full year will only enroll in the Seminar in their fall semester. However, the second semester will include regular clinic meetings in which students participate in additional skills training and case discussions.

Enrollment in the Clinic and Seminar is by permission. Applications will be available in the Registrar's Office. Prerequisites are Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Evidence. Faculty have the discretion to waive the prerequisites in individual cases. We will ask to meet with some students before making enrollment decisions. Decisions will be made by late April. Space will be limited, and we will keep a waiting list if the Clinic and Seminar are over-enrolled.

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