Continuing Clinical Work Program

Due to the nature of clinical work, some students may desire to continue working on projects that were not completed during a semester or who want to work at a more advanced level. These students are welcome to apply for continuing clinical credits, which allows a student to continue their clinical into subsequent semesters (and across academic years) with approval from the clinic. Work must be done at the same clinical placement. Independent clinical projects are not eligible for continuing clinical credit. Students must have the consent of the clinical supervisor and clinical faculty director in order for the continuing clinical application to be reviewed.

Student Requirements

Clinical Hours

You must complete all clinical hours in order to receive academic credit. Every clinical credit is equivalent to 60 hours of work for the semester, or 5 hours per week.

Placement Evaluation

Your experiences and opinions are extremely important to our continuing efforts to improve the quality of clinical legal education at Harvard Law School and to determine the appropriateness and effectiveness of specific placements. Therefore, at the end of the semester we require all students complete a Placement Evaluation to assess the placement organization, the supervision received, and the value of the clinical experience. It will help us most by being as frank, specific and constructive as possible. Your responses will in no way affect grading, as the information reported will not be reviewed outside of the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs until after the semester’s grading process has been completed. Faculty directors of the clinics will receive evaluations after grades are submitted and all of your identifying personal information is removed from the evaluation. The clinical evaluations are completed online through the  Public Service Job Database (log on using your HLS username and password) - you will receive an email from our office at the end of the semester with a web link to the clinical evaluation.

Client Confidentiality

Please be sensitive to issues of client confidentiality when submitting any written document or evaluation. Client names and any other identifying information should not be included in course papers or evaluations.

Supervision

Continuing Clinical work must be done at the same clinical placement and you  must have a licensed attorney supervisor directly responsible for your clinical work. Supervisors are expected to write a detailed evaluation of student's work at the end of the semester for submission to the Clinical Faculty Director and our office.

Grading

The clinical grading method (H/P/LP/F or Credit/No Credit) is determined by the Clinical Faculty Director, and must be uniform for all students in the same clinic. Supervising attorneys recommend a grade to the Clinical Faculty Director, who will take it and the supervisor evaluations into account when assigning the continuing clinical grade.

Application

All students who wish to register for a Continuing Clinical must complete and submit an application that requires a proposal, the signature of the supervising attorney, and the signature of the Clinical Faculty Director (of the clinic where the continuing clinical work will be conducted). All signatures must be obtained before submitting the application. Incomplete applications or applications with missing signatures will not be processed or approved. If approved, you will be notified by email and automatically registered by the Office Clinical and Pro Bono Programs (no enrollment through MyPlan is necessary).

Applications are due to the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs in Austin 102 by the following deadlines: 

• Fall 2009: September 4, 2009
• Winter 2009: October 23, 2009
• Spring 2009: January 15, 2010

Download the Continuing Clinical Application