The East Bay Community Law Center is the community-based component of Boalt Hall’s Clinical Program, providing law students with a unique opportunity to learn about the responsibilities of practicing law while reflecting on the lawyer’s role and the lawyering process. Under the supervision of EBCLC’s clinical instructors, students provide direct legal services to low-income clients and community groups in Alameda County.

Boalt students may participate at EBCLC:

• For academic credit in the Clinical Program (2Ls & 3Ls)
• As volunteers in the Community Legal Outreach (1Ls)
• As interns during the Summer Program
• In an advisory capacity on the Student Steering Committee

To read EBCLC’s 2007 Report to the Boalt Faculty, click here.

Clinical Program (2Ls & 3Ls)

EBCLC’s Clinical Program engages Boalt students in a well-structured, closely supervised learning experience. Immersed in the law and its application to real clients with significant legal needs, approximately 30 clinic students each semester participate in a wide range of lawyering activities at EBCLC, including direct client representation (interviewing, counseling, legal research, oral and written advocacy), policy advocacy, and community education and outreach.

Working a minimum of 16 hours per week for four credits, students assume substantial responsibility for cases and/or project-based work in one of five practice areas at EBCLC:

• Community Economic Development (policy and group representation)
• Clean Slate (criminal)
• Employment & Income Support (administrative and regulatory)
• HIV/AIDS & Health (multidisciplinary)
• Housing & Eviction Defense (litigation)

Students also enroll concurrently in a companion seminar, “Community Law Practice at EBCLC” (Law 289). During the course, students read materials written by practitioners, academics and students about many of the issues that face EBCLC clients, EBCLC as an institution, and Boalt students working at EBCLC. As a course satisfying Boalt’s professional responsibility requirement, students explore major themes of how to act ethically in the lawyer’s role.

For an information sheet that answers basic questions about EBCLC’s Clinical Program and enrollment procedures, click here.

To download an application for next semester, click here.

Please note that applications for the Fall 2008 semester are due to 396 Simon Hall at Boalt no later than Tuesday, April 15, 2008.

For more information about Boalt Hall’s clinical program, click here.