Legislative Policy & Drafting Clinics

The Legislative Policy & Drafting Clinic is a one-semester clinical program, offered in both the fall and spring.  Students must apply and be accepted to the program before they register.  Drafters selected for the Legislative Drafting Clinics may enroll in any one of the three clinics. Drafters select their projects from a wide range of topic areas. Each drafter provides the client with a legislative bill and a supporting research report.  Most bills are filed in the Massachusetts legislature, and some have become law.  Successful completion of the research report satisfies the Upper-class Writing Requirement.  Drafters in the Intellectual Property Legislation and Health & Environmental Legislation clinics may count the clinic toward the Concentration in Intellectual Property or the Concentration in Health Law.

During the first half of the semester, drafters in all of the Legislation Clinics (General, IP and Health & Environmental) meet together in a twice-weekly seminar on legislative problem-solving, research methods and legislative drafting techniques. During the second half of the semester, the clinics separate and meet in small critique groups that bring together drafters, editors and faculty.  Critique group members review the first draft of each report and bill.  The group advises each drafter on researching facts and law, presenting a persuasive analysis and drafting clear, enforceable legislation. Many drafters have reported that their analytical skills and writing style improved significantly through the critique group process.  The Legislation Clinics provide each drafter with a student editor selected from former drafters in the program. Editors advise their drafters throughout every phase of the analysis and drafting process.