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Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Clinic

Fall 2008 - Spring 2009
Walter Dellinger, Pamela Harris, Jonathan Hacker
Tuesdays, 3pm-5pm
Class credits: 1 Fall, 1 Spring
Clinical credits: 2 Fall, 2 Spring

Overview:

This clinical course will introduce students to Supreme Court and appellate practice through involvement in high-profile or high-impact Supreme Court, federal courts of appeal, or state supreme court cases. Students will obtain hands-on experience by participating in the steps of litigating an appeal under the supervision of senior attorneys from O'Melveny and Myers. The coursework will educate students on the structure and methodology of litigating a Supreme Court case, and will be complemented by the clinical component. Through the course and clinical work, students will learn Supreme Court and appellate strategy, strengthen writing skills, work collaboratively in teams, and gain exposure to ethical issues and professional values.

Each student will become an integral member of an appellate team and be involved in formulating an appellate strategy, researching the arguments, drafting the brief, and preparing for oral argument. In addition to class meetings, appellate teams would meet informally and communicate through conference calls and by email, and would work closely with senior appellate lawyers. Classes would also be supplemented by public lectures, public moot courts, and other public events.

The clinic will focus on drafting merits briefs or amicus briefs in high-profile cases in the state supreme courts, federal courts of appeals, or the United States Supreme Court. Cases may derive from various sources, such as public interest organizations or through referrals from Harvard Law School professors.

Enrollment:

Enrollment into this clinical course will be conducted through a selective application process, with up to 12 students admitted. Students must be in their 2L or 3L year and enrolled full-time during the 2008-2009 academic year. Preference will be given to 3L students and students who have taken Constitutional Law.

The class will formally meet every other Tuesday throughout the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 semesters, with office hours conducted in the in-between weeks. One class credit will be awarded each semester.

Clinical work is required for the Fall and Spring semesters, with students earning clinical credits each semester (approximately 10 clinical hours per week).

Application:

Interested students may apply to this clinical course by submitting the following materials to the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs in Austin 108 or by email to clinical@law.harvard.edu by Tuesday, April 1, 2008:

1) Statement of interest (500 word maximum)
2) Resume
3) Official current transcript
4) Writing sample

Decisions:

Admission decisions for the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Clinic will be announced in mid to late April. Decisions will not be available before clinical registration.

If you are interested in another clinical, you should participate in clinical registration on MyPlan from April 7-8. If you enrol in a clinical in clinical registration and are later accepted into the Supreme Court clinic, you may drop that other clinical in order to accept the Supreme Court clinic. By permission clinicals, such as the Supreme Court clinic, will not be in clinical registration. Students who are admitted into the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy clinic and accept their spot will be automatically enrolled for the clinical course by the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs.

© 2008 President and Fellows of Harvard College