In the 1L Advocacy Clinic, first-year law students, under the supervision of an experienced attorney, receive course credit to develop a wide variety of real-world advocacy skills, including investigation, interviewing, legal research and writing, and oral advocacy, while helping the community in significant and meaningful ways. The 1L Advocacy Clinic is the only clinic at the University of Michigan Law School — and among the only law clinics in the country — offering first-year law students the opportunity to handle cases.
Our students receive course credit to handle actual cases under the supervision of experienced attorneys. We provide not only a practical experience for students to develop real-world advocacy skills, but also an opportunity for them to engage their community in significant ways.
First-year students serve as guardians ad litem for children involved in custody matters before Michigan Circuit Court judges. Students investigate cases thoroughly, apply statutory criteria to formulate recommendations for the court, write and submit reports for the court, and defend those reports in live hearings.
