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Civil Litigation Program

The Boston University Civil Litigation Program, the law school’s civil clinic, one of the oldest clinical law programs in the country, started in a Jamaica Plain store front in 1969 with one supervising attorney. Today, six full-time clinical law faculty oversee a program of 38 students who practice law out of their own suite of offices in the headquarters of Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) in downtown Boston.

The two semester Civil Litigation Program gives students the opportunity to use their lawyering skills in all courtroom levels - from local trial and housing courts, to the state's Supreme Judicial Court, to the federal court. In fact, several landmark decisions by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court began as student-represented cases in the Civil Litigation Program.

Real Practice

In addition to gaining important litigation experience, students interview clients and witnesses, draft pleadings and other legal documents, negotiate with attorneys and conduct research - all under the close supervision of faculty members.

Real Clients

The program helps students understand the importance of providing strong representation to all who need it, regardless of economic means. To further assist students with the training process, the six faculty members of the Civil Litigation Program have developed specialized curriculums in negotiation, ethical decision making and case planning.

Real Cases

Students work out of the offices of Greater Boston Legal Services in downtown Boston. Student will choose from two options: students electing Option 1 will handle Family, Housing, Disability and Employment cases. Students chossing Option 2 will do Asylum and Human Rights cases. Normally, each student will be assigned four to five cases over the course of the academic year.