CLINICS & EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

FOCUS ON YOUR CLIENT

At Duke Law, we believe in learning by doing, and there’s no better way to hone your skills and train alongside real clients than by taking a clinic.

Students in our 11 clinics are directly involved in all aspects of their cases, from interviewing clients and witnesses and conducting investigations to writing briefs and presenting arguments in court. And best of all, your work will have a real and immediate impact, whether it’s securing housing for a client facing eviction or helping entrepreneurs navigate complex transactional issues to launch their start-up.

CLINIC SPOTLIGHT: WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS

Ronnie Long was imprisoned for 44 years following a 1976 trial tainted by police misconduct and the suppression of exculpatory evidence. On Aug. 28, 2020, he became a free man, marking the Wrongful Convictions Clinic’s ninth exoneration.

“You keep that hope because I felt like one day [God] is going to send me somebody that’s going to make it happen. And that’s him,” Long said, gesturing toward his lead attorney, Clinical Professor Jamie Lau ’09.

Numerous Duke Law students and alumni worked on Long’s case alongside Lau since the clinic took the case in 2015.

“This is incredible news, especially during this time of turmoil and racial injustice,” said Emma Wade ’20. “It has been such a privilege to work on Ronnie’s case.”

CLINICS

• Appellate Litigation • Children’s Law • Civil Justice • Community Enterprise • Environmental Law & Policy • First Amendment • Health Justice • Immigrant Rights • International Human Rights • Start-Up Ventures • Wrongful Convictions

“I knew the Start-Up Ventures Clinic was in line with what I wanted to do and that it would teach me useful skills but I had no idea the degree to which it would give me practical experience in contract drafting, in working with entrepreneurs, in working with supervisors, and getting and implementing feedback in transactional law. It has been my greatest avenue for learning and for growth, and for adding value as a future lawyer.”

NEIL DATAR ’20 worked with a new company through the Start-Up Ventures Clinic to draft customer contracts, navigate securities regulations, and register a medical device with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and also worked in the First Amendment Clinic.

“The Civil Justice Clinic gave me the confidence to be able to take on cases on my own and it certainly established my commitment to work in this space. Understanding the implications of eviction proceedings and how they impacted our clients’ lives made me realize how important it is to offer these free services.”

KATARINA WONG ’19 spent three semesters in the Civil Justice Clinic defending clients facing eviction, fighting for unemployment benefits owed to them, and helping them deal with other related issues.