You may have read recently
about four American soldiers ambushed and killed in the West African Republic
of Niger. I know Niger well, having spent several years of my adult life
working and living there.
What could the ambush in
Niger possibly have to do with clinical legal education? The answer is: the
need for alternative universe thinking.
In clinical teaching, we
often challenge our students to consider things from the point of view of the
client. In many cases, that client may exist in a “universe” very different
from that of the student. To take a simple example, if a client skips an
important meeting with the student, it might not be because the client does not
care; it might be because the client works at a minimum wage job that provides
her with little scheduling flexibility and no extra income to cover the costs
of childcare and transportation.
Tom Kelley in Niger
Read More... (Alternative Universe Thinking in Niger with Professor Tom Kelley)
Posted by Thomas A. Kelley III (Tom) on Wed. November 1, 2017 3:59 PM
Categories: Clinical Faculty Initiatives, Community Development Law Clinic
At
this time each year, my Community Development Law (“CDL”) Clinic students
receive their first client assignments – all community based nonprofit organizations
– and begin planning initial interviews with the organizations’ stakeholders.
As a teacher, I take great satisfaction in watching, and to a certain extent
guiding, as the CDL students become comfortable with interviewing and
counseling clients.
Tom Kelley
Read More... (Community Development Law "CDL" Clinic)
Posted by Thomas A. Kelley III (Tom) on Thu. September 7, 2017 1:54 PM
Categories: Community Development Law Clinic
This semester UNC School of Law students have a new hands-on learning opportunity: providing trademark counsel to entrepreneurs in conjunction with a program of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
UNC was among 19 schools the USPTO selected this past summer to participate in the Law School Clinic Certification Pilot Program. Twenty-eight other law schools currently are involved. North Carolina Central University School of Law is the only other North Carolina school represented.
“Carolina Law students now have the invaluable opportunity to gain real-world experience in the complex area of intellectual property law,” says associate professor of law and director of Clinical Programs Tamar Birckhead. “We are preparing them to serve as the next generation of lawyers to protect American ideas and support innovation, while providing pro bono legal representation to more communities. Our participation in the program will help ensure that these small businesses will have the resources to grow, create jobs and compete in the global marketplace.”
Read More... (USPTO Selects UNC to Join Trademark Law School Pilot Program)
Posted by Tamar R. Birckhead on Fri. October 31, 2014 4:20 PM
Categories: Community Development Law Clinic
Melanie Stratton Lopez, third year law student and recipient of the CLEA Outstanding Student Award for 2014, with Prof. Beth Posner of the Immigration Clinic.
On Monday, April 14, 2014, UNC Clinical Programs held its Second Annual End-of-Year Awards Luncheon, during which the sixty third-year law students who participated in the clinic during the 2013-14 academic year were recognized as they enjoyed a catered lunch from the Indian restaurant, Mint.
Prof. Tamar Birckhead, Director of Clinical Programs, thanked the group for its commitment and tenacity on behalf of their clients, and she spoke of the dedication of her students in the Juvenile Justice Clinic, including Galo Centenera, Ryan Eletto, Alyssa Kisby, Catherine McCormick, Kati Ruark, and Samantha Thompson, all of whom represented children under the age of 16 in the juvenile delinquency courts of Wake, Orange, and Durham counties.
Read More... (Second Annual Clinical Programs End-of-Year Awards Luncheon Recognizes Outstanding Clinic Students)
Posted by Tamar R. Birckhead on Tue. April 22, 2014 1:28 PM
Categories: Civil Legal Assistance Clinic, Clinical Programs Events, Community Development Law Clinic, Consumer Financial Transactions Clinic, Immigration Clinic, Youth Justice Clinic