This discussion will focus on the role clinics can play in developing legal skills for students outside a J.D. program.
In recent years, a growing number of states have pioneered various forms of non-lawyer legal service programs, in a creative effort to address the “justice gap” and expand access to legal services. Arizona has one of the most expansive programs, allowing for licensed legal paraprofessionals to provide legal services, including representation in court, in limited practice areas. This new frontier of legal service is often analogized to the role of nurse practitioners in the field of medicine. And it requires new, robust training.
The presenters will lead a discussion on the role law school clinics will play in developing skills for non-lawyer legal practitioners. The presenters will describe undergraduate clinical opportunities at the James E. Rogers College of Law—including a clinic specifically designed for undergraduate students—while providing opportunities for questions and feedback. The presenters will also lead a group brainstorm on how law school clinics might support the expansion of access to justice by training non-J.D. students in legal skills. In small groups, participants will discuss hypothetical problems regarding non-lawyer advocacy.
We will provide materials from the Arizona Task Force on the Delivery of Legal Services, the Arizona rules on legal paraprofessionals, and materials from other states implementing or considering limited legal service programs.