Clinical Programs
Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic
The Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic (“CLAC”) is one of the nation’s oldest continuously-operating law school clinical programs. The programs offered through CLAC provide third-year law students the opportunity to provide direct representation to low-income clients in need of legal assistance – in other words, to practice law. The “student attorneys” are specially licensed by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and the United States District Court to practice under the supervision of a fully licensed faculty member. While Clinic faculty provides instruction and supervision, the students are, in every respect, the lawyers for the Clinic’s clients. Students interview and counsel clients, develop case theory, conduct discovery, negotiate outcomes with opposing parties and counsel, prepare cases for court, and handle hearings, trials, and appeals.
The Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic is housed in a small building next to the Law School, and is staffed by a full-time Office Manager and an Administrative Assistant. The Clinic is comparable in facilities to many small and medium-sized law firms, with networked computers and other office equipment, a small library, student offices, and meeting rooms.
At this time, the Law School offers three separate clinic courses through CLAC each semester: General Practice Clinic, Juvenile Justice Clinic, and Prisoner Assistance Clinic.
General Practice Clinic
In the General Practice Clinic, a six-credit course, students represent low-income clients in a broad range of cases, including criminal, divorce, probate, child support and custody matters, and administrative matters. In recent years, General Practice Clinic students have briefed and argued cases before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, conducted a jury trial in federal court, and participated in hundreds of matters before Maine’s federal, state and probate courts, and administrative agencies. Through their work, General Practice Clinic students serve an important community need and develop the skills and understanding necessary to effectively practice law.
Juvenile Justice Clinic
In the Juvenile Justice Clinic provides students the opportunity to address the needs of troubled children in a number of diverse settings. Students represent juveniles in delinquency proceedings, and partner with numerous local agencies to assist our clients in meeting educational, mental health and housing needs. With guidance and instruction from a faculty supervisor, student attorneys in the Juvenile Justice Clinic meet with clients and their families, attend school meetings, file motions, appear in court, and in every respect take the lead in developing programs for their clients designed to avoid both incarceration and recidivism. Students also work with other legal aid attorneys at our collaborative ‘Street Law’ project, which involves weekly meetings with homeless teens at the Preble Street Teen Center to provide free legal advice, resource referrals and an occasional pizza.
The Juvenile Justice Clinic also provides opportunities for some students to pursue juvenile justice policy issues. For example, every semester a student works exclusively on Maine’s Juvenile Drug Treatment Court policy. This student sits on a state-wide steering committee, is part of the York County drug treatment court team and provides individual representation to juveniles enrolled in drug court. Other students may work on ongoing juvenile advocacy projects in Maine, and around the country.
Prisoner Assistance Clinic
Students in the Prisoner Assistance Clinic assist prisoners in the State correctional system on civil matters. Because of its large client base, and the varied legal problems faced by incarcerated individuals, the Prisoner Assistance Clinic provides student attorneys with a diverse and ever-changing legal practice and with a group of very appreciative clients. Students meet each week with male and female prisoners at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, and assist inmates in other institutions throughout the state via phone, fax, mail and video. Student attorneys handle matters involving family law (including guardianship of prisoners’ children), probate, bankruptcy, debt collection, social security and other issues. Once the student attorney identifies the prisoner’s legal issues, the student attorney decides upon and takes the appropriate steps to solve the problem. Those steps may be as simple as answering questions or providing assistance with the completion and filing of legal forms, to full representation in court proceedings, including negotiations, trials and appeals in both federal and state courts. The diversity of subject matters and tasks provides students with extensive opportunities to develop a variety of lawyering skills and to address intriguing legal issues.
Domestic Violence Program
All Student Attorneys enrolled in the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic courses also participate in the Domestic Violence Program. CLAC students represent victims of domestic violence in protection from abuse proceedings in Lewiston District Court. Students receive training in the civil remedies available to victims of domestic violence, as well as the dynamics of family violence. The program offers the opportunity to develop skills in negotiations and evidentiary trials, while addressing a critical need.
Summer Intern Program
Each summer the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic hires four to five students who have completed their second year of law school to work as full-time interns. Summer interns do the same work as students in all three clinic courses and the Domestic Violence Program, and CLAC thus is able to provide much-needed representation on a year-round basis. CLAC selects its summer interns through a competitive hiring process, which it completes each fall. The program provides selected students with a paid, intensive experience practicing public interest law.
Intellectual Property Law Clinic
Innovation drives our economy and lawyers experienced with leveraging intellectual property and technology assets are in high demand.
The Intellectual Property Law Clinic offers a rare opportunity to work with clients involved with developing new products and businesses. Under the supervision of intellectual property lawyers at the Center for Law & Innovation (Center), students work directly with independent inventors, entrepreneurs, and research scientists engaged in technology transfer. The Clinic is overseen by the Center, whose director is a law professor and intellectual property attorney. Also operating within the Center is the Maine Patent Program (Program), through which clinic clients seek services. The Program is itself directed by a patent attorney and technology transfer expert and employs an additional patent attorney and registered patent agent. Students enrolled in the Intellectual Property Law Clinic work under the supervision of the Center and Program directors as they assist the innovators of Maine.
The Center is located downtown and overlooks Portland's bustling waterfront. The Center and Program are staffed with a professional administrative manager and an administrative assistant. Each student is assigned a workstation and computer, and has full access to the Center's ample office facilities and resources.
A wide variety of projects exist for acquiring practical skills. Students typically review innovation disclosures for patentability and write opinion letters based on their results. They will frequently determine whether trademarks qualify for protection and are available for registration, and counsel clients on how to proceed. In the case of university clients, students may assist with drafting a patent application, registering a copyright, applying for a trademark, or working on a licensing agreement.
One need not have a science and technology background to benefit from this clinical opportunity. But for those students who have majored in engineering, biology, computer science, chemistry or related field, intellectual property law is an ideal avenue for their legal careers as it richly integrates science and law.
The 6-credit Intellectual Property Clinic is available to second-or third-year students who have completed at least an introductory course in intellectual property law. Completion of or enrollment in Patent Law is highly recommended. The Clinic is offered both fall and spring semesters and during summer session.
Planning Courses
Students whose interests lean more towards counseling clients in business or probate matters will also find the opportunity to develop practical skills in these areas. Upper-level courses in Business Planning and Estate Planning offer seminars in advanced problems and ways in which well-trained lawyers can frame solutions.
