LAW 5905 - Clinic:Farmworker Legal Aid

Institution:

Villanova University

Subject:

Description:

Description: Preference will be given to third year students who have not taken a clinical course. Priority will be given to two (2) rising second year students in the Spring semester only. Time Commitment: 24-28 hours per week. Students in the Farmworker Clinic will work in teams of two to represent people who are living and working on farms throughout Pennsylvania, most of them in Chester County. Students represent farmworkers in a variety of legal matters related to their clients' basic needs. Case types include workers' compensation claims for people who need long-term care for work-based injuries, wage and hour claims, and immigration. Because farmworkers are extremely isolated, education and trust-building are key components of lawyering for this community. Therefore, in the fall semester each student will accompany a legal services advocate to farm labor camps to conduct know-your-rights outreach presentations. In the spring semester, outreach may or may not required, depending on the resources of our partner agencies. Students will be responsible for all aspects of their cases, including: client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation, legal research, resolution of ethical issues, case theory development, negotiation with opposing parties, and litigation. Our cases are litigated in administrative and judicial courts and, in addition to providing motions, brief writing and oral advocacy experience, some cases require that students identify and work with expert witnesses. Most student teams will have the opportunity to work with Spanish-speaking clients and manage non-traditional offsite client consultation settings. Students will have ample opportunity to develop the necessary skills by participating in orientation sessions, twice-weekly lawyering classes (3 hours total), supervision sessions, simulation exercises, mock hearings, and individual evaluation meetings, and by incorporating written comments as they draft pleadings. Students can expect to spend 16 hours per week on their clinic casework. Identifying institutional, policy and professional implications of the cases is a primary learning process in the clinic. 6.00credit(s) Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Law School

Credits:

6.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.villanova.edu

Phone Number:

(610) 519-4500

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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