Clinical Placement Program
Professor Margaret I. Bacigal
Administrative Director of the Clinical Placement Program, Clinical Professor of Law
Office: Law School 223
Phone: 289-8950
E-mail: mbacigal@richmond.edu
In the Clinical Placement Program (CPP), the law office or judge's chambers to which a student is assigned is the classroom. Here students experience the practice of law. Legal Skills are used to help "real" clients and to assist in deciding "real" cases. Students grapple with issues of role assumption and personal and professional responsibility. They also learn firsthand about the legal system and the social, economic, and political forces which impact it. Issues involving bias, the meaning and quality of justice, and larger societal concerns challenge student thinking. Throughout the semester, students are encouraged to take charge of their own learning experiences and to utilize critical thinking skills in evaluating their performance.
The CPP is divided into five sections: civil, criminal, judicial, litigation, and in-house counsel (spring semester only). The civil section is composed of placements with government and public interest agencies. The criminal section is composed of defense and prosecutorial placements. The judicial section includes placements with state and federal judges at both the trial and appellate levels. The litigation clinic includes civil, criminal, and judicial placements. The in-house counsel section places students with counsel for both national and international corporations. Each section is limited to eight students per semester. Students may take the CPP for four, five, or six credit hours. All credit is pass/fail.
A professor is assigned to each section of the CPP. They not only teach students but serve as catalysts for self-discovery. The lawyers and judges who work with students are called field instructors. They are selected based upon their legal expertise and competence, professional reputation, and desire to work with students. The field instructors serve as supervisors, teachers, and mentors. All of these individuals are dedicated to helping students reach their full potential, and they invest significant personal time and energy to achieve this goal.
The law school recognizes that reflection is essential to learning from one's experiences and it is an integral part of the CPP. Students are required to produce weekly journals and to meet biweekly with their professor. The purpose of these activities is to provide students time for self-examination and to permit them to process what they are doing and learning. This focus carries over into the weekly seminar where students' experiences furnish the starting point for further intellectual inquiry. By offering an integrated approach to learning, the CPP motivates students to challenge their own thinking and to learn for themselves. Through such self-directed learning comes greater knowledge, understanding, and confidence in one's own abilities.
Student Stories
"The clinics have been the most educational and valuable experience I have had in law school (14 Credit Hours worth!!!). The clinics provided an opportunity to see the law in progress and interact with practicing attorneys. I would encourage everyone to take advantage of this program while at U of R. "
Sara Gaborik, L'02
Placement: American Civil Liberties Union
Youth Advocacy Clinic
"The clinical program gives you opportunities that you can't get in the classroom. I was allowed to participate in whatever I was interested in, and by the fifth week, I was preparing for a jury trial. I got a lot of courtroom experience, and I worked with numerous Richmond attorneys and police officers. The program is what you make it; you have a lot of flexibility to choose your focus."
Cathy Haas, L'02
Placement: Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney/Northside
"Peering down his glasses at the court papers in front of him, the judge asked me, “Madam Commonwealth, are you ready to proceed?” “Madam Commonwealth!? I’m a clueless third-year law student and this is my first case!” I thought to myself as I answered, “Yes, your honor, the Commonwealth is ready to proceed.”
A real judge. A real courtroom. A real case. I had been feeling only marginally confident about winning the case, as the facts were too weak, in my opinion, to support a conviction. All I wanted to do is do the best job I could, and learn from the experience to help me in future bench trials and an upcoming jury trial.
However, about twenty minutes before the case was to be called, I was informed that there had been a cross-complaint against another defendant. That case had originally been scheduled on another person’s docket in another courtroom, but the decision was made to piggy-back that case onto mine. I won’t go into the details about both the cases, but I will say that experience did prepare me to be ready for anything in the courtroom. There is nothing in law school that can prepare you for the crazy things that really happen. In the real world, you may not even meet your witness until right before trial, and you never know what they are going to say. The defendant might decide to plead guilty at the last minute. You will have five or so defense attorneys running up to you offering plea bargains all at the same time.
The Criminal Placement Program gave me the opportunity to try cases not only in front a of judge, but also a jury. I won my jury trial involving an obstruction of justice charge. The feeling I got from looking to the jury and asking them to convict someone is indescribable. It is both powerful and humbling. It didn’t feel real to me until the court reporter asked me how to spell my name for the record."
Leigh Carr, L'02
Placement: Chesterfield Commonwealth's Attorney/Adult