Dear Friends,

Some of the most powerful lessons in law school are learned outside of the classroom. When our students have the opportunity to sit across from a client for the first time or address a federal appellate panel or help a business owner navigate contracts, they develop tangible lawyering skills while serving real people. This is the important experience our Clinics provide with the support of faculty, supervising attorneys, volunteers and staff members. 

Our students are learning to interview clients, analyze complex problems, build arguments, and exercise the judgment that no casebook can fully teach. Just as importantly, they learn that the law is a tool for service. As you’ll read below, the breadth of what our clinical students are accomplishing is awe-inspiring. They are representing individuals seeking review of deportation orders, providing pro bono advice in areas including workers’ rights and consumer rights, collaborating with international human rights organizations to advocate for victims of human rights violations, and much more. 

Together, these Clinics embody the Jesuit values that guide our law school: competence, conscience, and compassion. They prepare our students to be practice-ready lawyers, and they do so in a way that strengthens access to justice for those who need it most. I am deeply grateful to the faculty, staff, community partners, and alumni who make this work possible, and to the students whose dedication inspires us all.

READ THE CLINICS NEWSLETTER

With warm regards and great gratitude,   

 

Michael J. Kaufman
Dean and Professor of Law
Santa Clara University School of Law