Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law - Beus Center for Law and Society Snell & Wilmer Plaza

Civil Litigation Clinic

Student attorneys in the Civil Litigation Clinic are certified by the Arizona Supreme Court to represent people who do not have adequate resources to hire an attorney in cases such as consumer fraud, employment discrimination, unemployment insurance benefits, wage claims, and tenant's rights.

Student attorneys are involved in all aspects of civil and administrative practice including interviewing and counseling clients, fact investigation, drafting pleadings, motions, conducting discovery such as taking depositions and propounding interrogatories and sometimes representing clients in trials, arbitrations, and mediation.

Our mission

The mission of the Civil Litigation Clinic is to train law students to become effective, compassionate practitioners through:

direct representation of clients under close faculty supervision,
classroom instruction, and,
individual mentoring.

In fulfilling its mission, the clinic strives to promote access to justice by offering free legal services to people who do not have adequate resources to hire a private attorney.

Two students talking to two professors in front of the windows in the W.P. Carey Foundation Armstrong Great Hall at ASU Law.

Course information

The Civil Litigation Clinic is a one-semester course.

Credits: six graded credits
Grading Criteria: grading rubrics assessing diligence, thoroughness, representation, and classroom participation are provided at the beginning of the semester.
Pre- or Co-Requisite(s): Evidence, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, and Professional Responsibility

Time commitment

Students are expected to spend a minimum of 270 hours in the Clinic during the one semester.

Fall or Spring Semester – 20 hours per week. No externships during the semester and outside work only with prior approval from the director of the Civil Litigation Clinic.
Fall and Spring - Must be free on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons after class and all day on Fridays.
Summer Semester – 27 hours per week. No other classes, externships or outside work during the semester.
Included in those hours is a mandatory seminar class of a minimum of five hours per week.

Student Applications Dates for Clinic:

Students may apply via Atlas during the application period listed below.

Spring 2024:
Applications: September 22 - October 22, 2023
Offers extended to students: October 27, 2023
Student acceptances due: October 31, 2023

Fall 2024: Application period: March 11-29, 2024 Offers extended to students: April 5, 2024 Student accept/decline due: April 11, 2024

**IMPORTANT!* - Externships and Clinics – Students who have applied for an externship or clinic and been accepted may decline upon offer without consequence. However, once a student has accepted an externship or clinic, any student who drops the externship or clinic without prior approval by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will be subject to the 12-month ban.

Our People

Jennifer Barnes Associate Dean of Experiential Education and
Public Interest, Director of Civil Litigation Clinic

Bobby MurphyInstructor in the Civil Litigation Clinic

The Civil Litigation Clinic accepts limited inquiries for services from the public. If you believe you have a valid civil legal claim you may submit the above application for consideration by visiting ASUCivilClinic.org