Beginning in 1947, the SMU Dedman School of Law`s clinical program was among the first in the country to sponsor a community law clinic. Today, it is a national model of excellence. Dedman Law`s clinical curriculum has evolved to reflect changing perspectives on legal education and innovation in legal practice. At the same time, Dedman Law remains committed to the ideals that have shaped it from the beginning: public service, professional responsibility and excellent professional training. As this is a free service, you cannot go back to a follow-up consultation on the same topic. Due to high demand, any legal advice is limited to 20 minutes. The person facing the legal problem must be present at the legal opinion. Exceptions are only allowed in cases where this is not possible, for example when the person is in prison or confined to bed. Please check with our staff in advance. Disclaimer: Thank you for visiting the VanSickle Clinic website. The Website is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The use of the Internet or the submission of a request for communication with VanSickle Clinic does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.

Can my friend or family member accompany me to the Legal Clinic? The VanSickle Family Law Clinic is a new addition to the clinical program at SMU Dedman School of Law, which was officially launched in January 2016. Many thanks to the anonymous donor of the clinic and its founding supporters who made this possible. The clinic will provide much-needed support to unrepresented family rights parties in our community. Under the supervision of an experienced clinical faculty member, student staff will represent and advise low-income clients on family law matters such as divorce, custody, visitation, paternity, amendments, enforcement, child support, and adoption. Student assistants are expected to take the lead in all aspects of their treatment and be professionally accountable for the services they provide on behalf of their clients. Through client representation and clinical seminar, student assistants have the opportunity to practice the basic legal skills necessary for competent representation and zealous advocacy. These skills include, but are not limited to, client interviews and counselling, negotiation, fact-finding and analysis, strategic case planning, conflict resolution and decision-making, claims and litigation practice, drafting briefs and supplemental documents, organizing and managing legal work, cultural competence, collaboration and self-assessment. In the spring of 2017, the VanSickle Family Law Clinic opened a “Service Office” in the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building to assist self-represented litigants in family law matters.

The office allows the clinic`s student staff to review the pro-se forms and immediately inform and guide the litigant on what to do to complete and/or correct the forms. In addition, student staff answer common procedural questions on matters related to divorce, custody lawsuits and other family law matters. In the spring of 2017, VanSickle Student Associates assisted 357 litigants. As a result, the civil/general public clinic has reached its workload capacity for the fall semester; We no longer accept requests for mutual legal assistance. Please visit us again in the spring semester, after January 2, 2023. What can I expect in terms of legal advice? Federal Taxpayer Clinic: Taxpayers and others interested in receiving information about the tax clinic`s services or scheduling an initial consultation with student advocates should call 214-768-8299. The Tax Clinic is open from 8:30 a.m. at 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is located on the lower level of Storey Hall on the SMU campus at 3315 Daniel, Dallas, Texas. For more than 60 years, the civil/mainstream clinic has represented low-income clients in federal and state courts in Dallas. The civil/mainstream clinic is a five-credit, one-semester course (four credits in summer) taught by a full-time faculty member. With the help of a part-time supervisor, the Faculty of Clinics supervises up to 12 students in the fall and spring semesters and up to 6 students in the summer semester. In addition, each semester, a limited number of students may enroll for a second clinical semester as “Chief Legal Counsel” to ensure continuity in complex active cases and to assist new students in the clinic with routine matters.

Students represent clients under the Texas State Bar Association Student Rules of Practice. Students are closely supervised by a faculty member from the clinic and learn by practicing in all aspects of the advocacy process. They conduct client and witness interviews, factual investigations and legal research, and advise and advise their clients. In addition, they conduct negotiations and mediations, participate in case planning, written and oral disclosure, and represent their clients before the First Chair in hearings and court proceedings. The Office of Legal Affairs is responsible for providing all legal services to the Board of Directors, SMU officials and authorized representatives of institutional interests in legal matters of interest to FPTP. Where necessary and appropriate, the Office also coordinates the selection and oversight of external legal counsel. Please inquire about legal representation at the SMU Dedman School of Law Legal Clinics. Clinics provide legal services to people who otherwise cannot afford to hire a private lawyer. The SMU Pro Bono Centre legal clinic is operated by the SMU Pro Bono Centre with the assistance of volunteer lawyers and SMU law students. The Legal Clinic began operations in 2013 and transitioned from bi-weekly to weekly in 2017.

It is used to facilitate access to justice each year for approximately 300 applicants who cannot afford a lawyer. Pro bono legal consultations (free) take place by appointment every Friday evening (except during the months of April and November) from 19:00 to 20:30. Legal Clinic applicants must arrive 20 minutes prior to their appointment to have time to register. Information on this website is provided by SMU`s Office of Legal Affairs for faculty, staff and students in the SMU community. It is not legal advice or an opinion on particular circumstances. Lawyers from SMU`s Office of Legal Affairs are available to help you deal with one of these topics as well as a variety of other academic issues. OLA supports SMU`s mission and goals, as reflected in the Second Century Strategic Plan 2016-2025, by providing timely and professional legal advice of high quality. The program includes 11 specialty clinics and projects in which our students, under the supervision of clinic directors, act as advocates on behalf of the community in many areas of law. Dedman Law`s clinical education program is central to our mission to provide outstanding legal education and public service, as well as the development of professional liability. The main purpose of this website is to provide SMU faculty, staff and administrators with accurate information about the applicable legal authorities affecting the University.

We hope that this website will become a valuable resource for you and that it will promote a better appreciation of the relationship between law and policy, as well as a pragmatic approach to decision-making on issues with legal implications. In addition to case processing, students participate in a lesson component twice a week. Courses are delivered by teams and use a variety of teaching methods, using students` cases as the primary vehicle to illustrate larger issues and allow students to take a critical perspective on practical issues. In addition, each clinic director organizes weekly one-on-one tutorials with students, and regular “corporate meetings” are held by supervising lawyers with all the students they supervise. Tutorials and corporate meetings allow students and faculty to work on case planning and strategy, and provide students and faculty with the necessary framework to explore in more detail the substantive and legal issues raised by students` work.