Law Clinics

The Center for Animal Law Studies’ Animal Law Clinic serves as a comprehensive training ground for students interested in the full range of policy and related work to benefit animals through the direct representation of clients. Students conduct research, represent clients, work on clinic projects, and work with attorneys outside the clinic to develop the field of animal law and encourage consideration of the interests of animals in legal decision-making. Their work includes: policy, legislative, research, transactional work, ethical practice, - and strategic planning. Where possible, students also shadow local lawyers, work with lawyer practitioners around the country, observe legal proceedings, and conduct field work to better understand the problems facing animals.

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The Farmed Animal Protection Project provides an opportunity for all law students (LLM, MSL and JD) to protect farmed animals. The Project concentrates on farmed animal protection and lawyering skills used by farmed animal protection legal advocates. There is an in-class component as well as an out-of-class individual project. Under the guidance of Professor Russ Mead, students create an individual project in the field of farmed animal protection law. These projects prepare students to work as lawyers for animal nonprofits and NGO’s. The projects also benefit lawyer and non-lawyer advocates currently working in farmed animal protection. Students are expected to spend 10 hours a week on these projects.

Visit the Farmed Animal Projection Project →

Under the supervision of Clinical Professor Meg Garvin, who is also the Executive Director of the National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI), students of the Crime Victims Litigation Clinic (CVLC) learn both practical and theoretical approaches to the assertion and enforcement of victims’ rights within the criminal justice system. In a weekly 2 and 1/2 hour class, students learn basic victims’ rights jurisprudence, Blue Book citation, and trial and appellate level victims’ rights practice, including effective motion practice and general practice skills. Students also benefit from guest lectures by national crime victims’ rights experts and experienced crime victim attorneys and allied professionals (e.g., psychologists, victim advocates).

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The Criminal Justice Reform Clinic (CJRC) opened in the summer of 2015. Students in the CJRC work on a variety of casework and projects relating to clemency, parole, incarcerated youth legal services, forensic science in criminal cases, and on amicus briefs and academic reports and studies relating to the back end of the criminal legal system.

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Earthrise Law Center, founded in 1996, is the domestic environmental law clinic at Lewis & Clark Law School. Earthrise’s goals are to advance efforts to protect the environment by serving as a resource for public interest organizations that need legal representation and to train and educate law students through direct involvement in complex environmental and natural resource issues. Earthrise provides rewarding clinical experience for students interested in environmental law who wish to develop their litigation, negotiation, and advocacy skills.

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The Global Law Alliance for Animals and the Environment (the “Global Law Alliance”) is a champion for wild animals and wild spaces across the globe, working to protect animals and the environment through the development, implementation, and enforcement of international law. Law students (JD and Animal Law LLM) actively participate in the work through two legal clinics. The Global Law Alliance is an innovative collaboration of the world-renowned Center for Animal Law Studies and the #1 ranked Environmental Law Program at Lewis & Clark Law School.

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The law school’s Low Income Taxpayer Clinic gives students the opportunity to represent taxpayers of lesser means in controversies with the Internal Revenue Service, including audits and appeals before that agency, and trials and hearings before the U.S. Tax Court. Student participants work under the supervision of an experienced tax attorney who is a full-time member of the law school faculty. The Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic accepts for representation only those cases that maximize the student’s opportunities to learn and develop practical lawyering skills. The Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic is part of the Lewis & Clark Small Business Legal Clinic.

Visit the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic →

The law school’s Small Business Legal Clinic (SBLC) is an economic justice clinic that provides low-income small business owners and entrepreneurs access to transactional legal services. 

Since opening its doors in 2006, the SBLC has provided transactional legal assistance to thousands of small businesses, helping new businesses get started with a strong foundation, and helping existing businesses take their business to the next level. Seventy-five percent of the clients are businesses owned by women, recent immigrants, and people from communities of color.

SBLC also houses a Patent Clinic, providing copyright, trademark registration. patent prosecution for a limited number of clients.

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The Green Energy Institute works to develop new strategies to promote renewable energy. Committed to the goal of mitigating climate change through complete decarbonization of the United States electricity sector, the Green Energy Institute works at regional, state, and local levels to develop innovative policy incentives for renewable energy.

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The Western Resources Legal Center is a 501 (c)(3) educational organization located on campus that provides law students with instruction and opportunities to develop their legal skills and knowledge of natural resources and environmental laws through the legal representation of clients active in natural resource related industries that will lead to an appreciation for the challenges faced by, and importance of, natural resource industries.

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