Clinics

Clinics Enrollment Policy

  1. Timing of Enrollment. In accordance with the North Carolina State Bar rules governing the practical training of students, a student may enroll in a clinic after his or her third semester of law school. Dual-degree students who started in the summer session are eligible to enroll in a clinic starting in the fall semester of their second year. All other students are eligible to enroll in a clinic starting in the spring semester of their second year.

    Note: Because of the nature of work involved with the following clinics, students may enroll prior to their fourth semester of law school: the Animal Law Project (LAW 403); the Guantanamo Defense Clinic (LAW 448); the Poverty Law Clinic (LAW 470); and the Wrongful Convictions Clinic (LAW 493).

  2. Ethics Prerequisite and Graduation Requirement. The ethics rules portion of the Ethics & Professionalism graduation requirement is a prerequisite to enroll in several of the clinics (see below for list of the clinics that do not have this prerequisite). Where required, a student may fulfill this prerequisite in one of two ways:
    • By completing one of the following two-credit courses:
      • Ethics & the Law of Lawyering (LAW 238)
      • Ethics in Action (LAW 539), or
    • By completing the one-credit Ethics & the Rules of Professional Conduct (LAW 246) prior to enrolling in one of the following clinics:
      • The AIDS Legal Assistance Project (LAW 400)
      • The Children’s Law Clinic (LAW 416)
      • The Community Enterprise Clinic (LAW 427)
      • The Environmental Law & Policy Clinic (LAW 443)
      • The Wrongful Convictions Clinic (LAW 493).
    Both of these options will fulfill the Ethics & Professionalism graduation requirement in its entirety.

    Note: The following clinics do not have the ethics rules prerequisite, nor do they have the ethics component necessary to fulfill the Ethics & Professionalism graduation requirement: the Animal Law Project (LAW 403); the Appellate Litigation Clinic (LAW 408); the Guantanamo Defense Clinic (LAW 448); the Poverty Law Clinic (LAW 470). As a result, these clinics may not be paired with the one-credit ethics rules course to satisfy the Ethics & Professionalism graduation requirement.

    The ethics prerequisite for enrolling in a clinic may be waived with the written permission of the appropriate clinical professor. The waiver of the ethics prerequisite for clinic enrollment does not affect the student’s obligations with respect to the Ethics & Professionalism graduation requirement.
  3. Priority for Single Clinic Enrollment. In general, students are permitted to enroll in only one clinic per semester. A student seeking to enroll in two clinics in a semester must obtain written permission from the professor of each clinic and written approval from the Director of Clinical Education. Written permission and approval must be obtained prior to enrolling in the clinics on ACES or the student will be removed from the class roll of both clinics. The written permission and approval must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Absent unusual circumstances, written approval for enrollment in multiple clinics will not be permitted, or will be rescinded, if either or both of the clinics in which the student wishes to enroll have or are expected to have wait lists.
  4. Advanced Clinical Studies. Students interested in extending their work in a clinic beyond one semester may enroll in the clinic for a second semester though the law school’s advanced clinical course opportunities. To enroll in an advanced clinic, the student must obtain written permission from the appropriate clinic professor prior to enrolling in the advanced clinic. The written permission must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, and the Registrar will subsequently register the student for the advanced clinic. Requests for permission will be reviewed on a case by case basis and will be granted at the discretion of the clinic professor.
  5. LLM Eligibility for Clinics. In certain limited circumstances, LLM students may be eligible to enroll in a clinic. To enroll in a clinic, the LLM student must obtain written permission from the appropriate clinic professor prior to enrolling in the clinic. The written permission must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, and the Registrar will subsequently register the LLM student for the clinic. Requests for permission will be reviewed on a case by case basis and will be granted at the discretion of the clinic professor.

    Note: Prior written permission for enrollment by LLMs is not required for the following clinics: the Animal Law Project (LAW 403); the Guantanamo Defense Clinic (LAW 448); and the Poverty Law Clinic (LAW 470). As a result, LLM students may enroll in these clinics in accordance with standard registration requirements.