Skip to main content

Hands-On Learning Handbook | 2026-2027

Page 1

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SCHOOL OF LAW HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK

CLINICS, FIELD PLACEMENTS AND EXPERIENTIAL COURSES


A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Jean Gilles Phillips Clinical Professor of Law & Director of Clinical Programs More than 60 years ago, KU Law became a pioneer in clinical legal education when it launched the Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence and the Douglas County Legal Aid Clinic. Since then, the law school has built an extensive experiential learning program that includes live-client clinics, field placements and skills simulations where students, under the supervision of faculty, practicing attorneys and judges, sharpen their professional skills and gain practical experience. In the clinics and field placement programs, students can represent clients in municipal, juvenile, district or appellate courts. Students can prosecute or defend in criminal cases, conduct negotiations, write bench memos for judges, or work in a variety of governmental or nonprofit offices. Through the diverse offering of experiential courses, students learn to take and defend depositions, write and argue mock appellate briefs, conduct mock trials and practice the art of selecting juries and using expert witnesses. We encourage you to take advantage of the many hands-on learning opportunities and leave KU with the experience necessary to be ready to practice in any field. 1 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK


HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK

CONTENTS 1

INTRODUCTION A letter from Director of Clinical Programs Jean Phillips

3

GRADUATION REQUIREMENT CHECKLIST

4

CLINICS

9

FIELD PLACEMENTS

17

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

18

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

19

EXPERIENTIAL COURSES

20

WRITING COURSES

21

KANSAS LEGAL INTERN PERMIT: RULE 715

22

OVERVIEW OF CLINICS AND P FIELD PLACEMENTS A chart of the credit hours and location for each clinic and field placement

Students must complete 90 credit hours to earn a J.D. degree.

Legal Aid Clinic Project for Innocence & Post-Conviction Remedies Veterans Legal Support Clinic Tribal Judicial Support Clinic

Criminal Prosecution Field Placement Elder Law Field Placement Field Placement Program Judicial Field Placement KU Medical-Legal Partnership Field Placement Public Defense Field Placement 6th Semester in Washington, D.C. Program

HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 2


3 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK


CLINICS

KU Law students take the lead on real cases with real clients, honing practical skills while providing quality legal representation to underserved individuals and communities. Clinical offices are housed in the law school, and students are supervised by full-time KU faculty and staff attorneys. Each clinic also includes a classroom component. For more information, visit law.ku.edu/clinics.

HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 4


Legal Aid Clinic

Faculty: Melanie Daily and Meredith Schnug

The Legal Aid Clinic (Law 952) offers students the opportunity to fine-tune their lawyering skills in a fast-paced, live-client setting by representing low-income clients at the trial court level. The clinic’s caseload is divided into four general areas: •

A criminal practice for juveniles charged with crimes in Douglas County District Court;

•

A criminal practice for adults charged with crimes and municipal violations in Lawrence Municipal Court;

•

A civil practice to represent individuals seeking expungement of criminal records in Douglas County; and

•

A civil practice to provide legal assistance to individuals seeking name changes through the Douglas County District Court.

Under faculty supervision, students assume primary responsibility for all aspects of their cases from initial contact to trial or other resolution. The Legal Aid Clinic is designed for students who are interested in learning about litigation, including client counseling, ethical case management, discovery, case analysis and negotiation. More information and application to the program can be found at law.ku.edu/legal-aid-clinic. Eligibility: All Legal Aid Clinic students must be eligible for a student license pursuant to Kansas Supreme Court Rule 715. Students apply to the clinic prior to the semester in which they wish to enroll. Students who successfully complete Law 952 may also apply for the Advanced Legal Aid Clinic course, Law 833. Pre-requisites: Professional Responsibility (Law 972), Evidence (Law 908), Trial Advocacy (Law 992). Contact: Melanie Daily at melaniedaily@ku.edu or Meredith Schnug at mschnug@ku.edu.

5 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK


Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence and PostConviction Remedies Faculty: Jean Phillips, Beth Cateforis and Adam Sokoloff

Students in the Project for Innocence (Law 895 and Law 896) provide assistance to incarcerated persons who otherwise do not have legal representation. The clinic litigates claims of actual innocence, ineffective assistance of counsel, prosecutorial misconduct, newly discovered evidence and constitutional violations. Representation extends to both district and appellate court litigation. As a result, students engage in a variety of legal skills, including interviewing clients, conducting fact investigations, creating case strategies, locating and working with expert witnesses, drafting and filing pleadings and motions, preparing and conducting hearings, and preparing appellate briefs. In the process, students learn about the criminal justice system and the impact of its mistakes. The Project for Innocence is for students interested in either district or appellate court litigation, as well as those who are interested in criminal law. Each semester satisfies either the upper-level writing or experiential requirement. Students can split/choose whether they count the hours as upper-level writing or experiential credits. More information and application to the program can be found at law.ku.edu/project-innocence. Eligibility: Students are eligible to apply to the Project for Innocence after successful completion of their first year of law school. Students must submit an application, resume and unoffical transcript to be considered for acceptance into the clinic. Pre- and Co-Requisites: Enrolled in both the fieldwork component (Law 895) and the classroom component (Law 896), Criminal Procedure: Investigation (Law 878). Contact: Jean Phillips at phillips@ku.edu or Beth Cateforis at escat@ku.edu.

HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 6


Veterans Legal Support Clinic Faculty: Jeff Shull and Robert Teutsch

The Veterans Legal Support Clinic (Law 997) represents veterans living in Kansas, and is designed to deepen a students understanding of the complex legal challenges veterans face. The clinic focuses on federal administrative law, with particular emphasis on discharge upgrades and appeals before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Students will engage in substantive legal work, including legal research, drafting motions and advocacy materials, and developing case strategies. Emphasizing a client-centered approach, the clinic enables students to collaborate with service providers and advocacy organizations. Beyond direct representation, students can take on leadership and mentorship roles within the clinic, supporting team development, peer learning and day-to-day operations, with a focus on partnerships with Veterans Treatment Courts, Clemency Board representation and advocacy under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Each semester satisfies either the upper-level writing requirement or the experiential requirement. More information can be found at law.ku.edu/vlsc. Please email vlsc@ku.edu for applications. Eligibility: Students are eligible to apply after successful completion of their first year of law school. Students must submit an application, resume and unofficial transcript to be considered for acceptance into the clinic. Pre- or Co-Requisites: None Contact: Jeff Shull at jmshull@ku.edu or Robert Teutsch at rteutsch@ku.edu.

7 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK


Tribal Judicial Support Clinic Faculty: Shawn Watts

Students in the Tribal Judicial Support Clinic (Law 998) provide research assistance to tribal court judges and personnel in projects that include tribal code development, legal research and drafting of legal memoranda, and judicial orders. Students are assigned research projects from participating tribal courts, and in the process have opportunities to meet with tribal attorneys and judges at tribal headquarters. In the past, clinical students have engaged in groundbreaking work for local tribes. Students can earn 3 credit hours for the semester. Participation in the clinic satisfies the Tribal Lawyer Certificate Program internship requirement. More information and application to the program can be found at law.ku.edu/tribal-judicial-support-clinic. Eligibility: Admission by instructor permission. Pre- or Co-Requisites: Federal Indian Law (Law 914). Contact: Shawn Watts at shawn.watts@ku.edu.

HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 8


FIELD PLACEMENTS

KU Law students perform legal work at approved courts, nonprofit organizations and government offices under the supervision of an attorney. KU Law offers specialized placement opportunities in criminal prosecution, public defense, elder law, the judicial branch and the medical legal partnership setting. For more information, visit law.ku.edu/field-placements.

9 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK


Criminal Prosecution Field Placement Faculty: Glenn Jewell

Students in the Criminal Prosecution Field Placement (Law 890) gain courtroom experience working side by side with prosecutors in federal, state and local offices in many phases of the criminal justice process. In addition to appearing regularly in court on behalf of the prosecution, interns work closely with law enforcement agencies in developing cases, preparing trial court documents and drafting appellate briefs. To earn course credit, the placement must be with a federal, state or local prosecutor’s office, the student must perform primarily legal work and be supervised by an attorney. The student may not receive monetary compensation. The student must work 42.5 hours for each hour of credit, attend an orientation, complete a goals memorandum, maintain weekly journals of the experience, attend classes (except in the summer), complete online coursework and write a final reflective paper. More information and application to the program can be found at law.ku.edu/criminal-prosecution-field-placement. Eligibility: Students must be eligible for a student license pursuant to Kansas Supreme Court Rule 715. To be considered, students submit a completed application, resume and unofficial law school transcript. Pre- or Co-Requisites: Evidence (Law 908), Professional Resposibilty (972). Contact: Glenn Jewell at gjewell@ku.edu.

HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 10


Elder Law Field Placement Faculty: Thomas Lasley

Students in the Elder Law Field Placement (Law 901) work under the supervision of attorneys from Kansas Legal Services assisting low income and low net-worth seniors with a variety of legal issues, including: landlord-tenant and housing, consumer protection, Medicaid, probate and simple estate planning. Students interact with clients and prepare documents, such as durable financial and healthcare powers of attorney, living wills, transfer on death deeds and wills. Students are placed with Kansas Legal Services, a private, nonprofit law firm with 11 field offices that serve senior citizens in all Kansas counties. KLS also operates the Kansas Elder Law Hotline. Each office has a Senior Citizens Law Project that serves counties in the vicinity of the office. Generally, students work in the Kansas City or Topeka offices. Arrangements can be made to be placed in Wichita or Manhattan. Students will meet for five weeks as a class. Students must work 42.5 hours per credit hour. Students earn 3 credit hours per semester and can participate in either the fall or spring semester. Students can also choose to participate for both semesters. More information and application to the program can be found at law.ku.edu/elder-law. Eligibility: Students are eligible to apply for the Elder Law Field Placement Program after successful completion of their first year of law school. Pre- or Co-Requisites: None Contact: Thomas Lasley at lasleyt@klsinc.org.

11 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK


Field Placement Program Faculty: Glenn Jewell

The Field Placement Program (Law 894) provides students with the opportunity to earn credit for legal work performed under the supervision of attorneys outside of Green Hall. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn from attorneys working on actual cases and legal issues. Students are responsible for finding their field placements. For listings of available internships, please check Symplicity. Past field placements include: the United Nations, JAG Corps, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Kansas Attorney General’s Office, EPA, Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, ACLU of Kansas, Spencer Museum of Art, the Kansas Department of Revenue and many more. To earn course credit, the placement must be with a governmental office or nonprofit, the student must perform primarily legal work and be supervised by an attorney. The student may not receive monetary compensation. The student must work 42.5 hours for each hour of credit, attend an orientation, complete a goals memorandum, maintain weekly journals of the experience, attend classes (except in the summer), complete online coursework and write a final reflective paper. More information and application to the program can be found at law.ku.edu/field-placement-program. Eligibility: Students are eligible to apply for the Field Placement Program after successful completion of their first year of law school. Pre- or Co-Requisites: None Contact: Glenn Jewell at gjewell@ku.edu. HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 12


Judicial Field Placement Program Faculty: Glenn Jewell

Students in the Judicial Field Placement Program (Law 933) serve as interns with federal and state judges. Students perform research, draft documents and observe courtroom proceedings to expand their knowledge of how our court systems operate. To earn course credit, the placement must be with a federal, state or local judge’s office, the student must perform primarily legal work, and be supervised by a judge, law clerk, or staff attorney. The student may not receive monetary compensation. A student must work 42.5 hours for each hour of credit, attend an orientation, complete a goals memorandum, maintain weekly journals of the experience, attend classes (except in the summer), complete online coursework and write a final reflective paper. More information and application to the program can be found at law.ku.edu/judicial-field-placement. Eligibility: Students are eligible to participate in the Judicial Field Placement after successful completion of their first year of law school. Students must submit an application. Students may participate in one of three ways: 1) Summer internship through the law school: This internship is open only to students finishing their first year of law school. Summer interns earn 6 credit hours. 2) Fall-Spring internship through the law school: This internship is open to all second- and third-year law students. Fall-Spring placement is a full academic-year commitment with 3 credits per semester. 3) Independently secure an internship: For students who locate their own judicial internship, in addition to the required application, students must submit a letter of interest from the judge that confirms the internship and explains the work that will be performed. The work must consist of research and writing, and observation of hearings, trials and chamber conferences. Students must complete significant written work. Pre- or Co-Requisites: None Contact: Glenn Jewell at gjewell@ku.edu. 13 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK


KU Medical-Legal Partnership Field Placement Supervising Attorneys: Juliann Morland DaVee and Lindsey Collins

The KU School of Law Medical-Legal Partnership (Law 936) is a collaboration between the law school and The University of Kansas Health System at KU Medical Center in Kansas City and LMH Health in Lawrence. Each site serves a diverse client community, all of whom are from low-income households with limited financial resources. Applicants often face numerous civil legal issues at any one time, requiring strategic legal assistance and problem-solving. Students will focus on priority areas in which legal services can have the greatest impact on the health of patients: public benefits, housing, education, employment, expungements, estate planning, family law, protection orders and other legal matters. MLP interns gain extensive transactional experience conducting intake interviews; developing case strategies; conducting legal research; and preparing legal pleadings, briefs and memoranda of support. They may represent clients in administrative hearings and district court if the student has received a student license pursuant to Kansas Supreme Court Rule 715. To earn course credit, the student must work 42.5 hours for each hour of credit, attend an orientation, complete a goals memorandum, maintain weekly journals of the experience, attend classes (except in the summer). The student may not receive monetary compensation. More information and application to the program can be found at law.ku.edu/medical-legal-partnership. Eligibility: Students are eligible to apply for the MLP after successful completion of their first year of law school. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Students may participate during the fall, spring or summer semesters for up to 6 credit hours. Pre- or Co-Requisites: None Contact: Glenn Jewell at gjewell@ku.edu; Lindsey Collins at KU Medical Center, lindsey.collins@ku.edu; or Juliann Morland DaVee at LMH Health, juliann.davee@ku.edu.

HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 14


Public Defense Field Placement Program Faculty: Glenn Jewell

The Public Defense Field Placement (LAW 975) offers students the opportunity to receive hands-on experience with clients in criminal cases in state and federal public defense offices. Under the guidance of experienced trial and appellate public defenders, students assist with all phases of client representation, including client interviews, fact investigations, researching and writing motions, and writing appellate briefs filed with the Kansas appellate courts. Student who are eligible for a student practice permit under Rule 715 are also eligible to appear in court on behalf of clients. To earn course credit, the placement must be with a public defense office, performing primarily legal work under a supervising attorney. Students may not receive monetary compensation. Students must work 42.5 hours for each hour of credit, attend an orientation, complete a goals memorandum, maintain weekly journals of the experience, attend classes (except in the summer), complete online coursework and write a final reflective paper. Students who wish to enroll in the Public Defense Field Placement apply both to the specific public defender office(s) where they wish to work, and to Glenn Jewell, Director of Field Placements. More information and application to the program can be found at law.ku.edu/public-defense. Eligibility: Students are eligible to apply for the Public Defense Field Placement after successful completion of their first year of law school. Pre- or Co-Requisites: None Contact: Glenn Jewell at gjewell@ku.edu.

15 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK


6th Semester in D.C. Field Placement Program Faculty: Glenn Jewell

The 6th Semester in Washington, D.C. Program (Law 825) gives students work experience and connections within the D.C. legal, political and public interest communities. Through the program, students meet, learn from and network with influential and accomplished attorneys from the public and private sectors in the D.C. region. Each student is responsible for securing an internship in the public or nonprofit sector. Past field placements include the House Judiciary Committee, the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Department of Homeland Security, ASPCA, PBS, the National Resources Defense Council and the National Association of Attorneys General. A student must work 42.5 hours for each hour of credit, attend an orientation, complete a goals memorandum, maintain weekly journals of the experience, attend classes (except in the summer), complete online coursework and write a final reflective paper. The student may not receive monetary compensation. Students must enroll in 6 to 9 credit hours for the field placement. Students interested in this program should meet with Glenn Jewell as early in their law school career as possible, preferably during their 1L year. More information and application to the program can be found at law.ku.edu/6th-semester. Eligibility: Students in good academic standing are eligible to participate in the D.C. program during their final semester. Pre- or Co-Requisites: None Contact: Glenn Jewell at gjewell@ku.edu.

HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 16


Other Opportunities For Credit: Moot Court

All second-year students are eligible to compete in KU’s Second-Year In-House Moot Court Competition. KU Law’s Moot Court Program consistently ranks among the top programs nationwide.

Mock Trial

KU Law offers both an in-house Mock Trial Competition course and a Mock Trial Council that represents the school in national competitions.

Transactional Law Competitions

Students partake in meaningful and realistic simulations of transactional practice. There are multiple opportunities each spring.

Law Review

The Kansas Law Review is a student-edited journal of legal scholarship published five times yearly.

Law Journal

The Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy is a student-edited journal that promotes contemporary discourse on judicial decisions, legislation and other legal and social issues. Moot Court and Mock Trial do not satisfy the writing or experiential course requirements. Reference the course lists for requirements satisfied by Law Journal, Law Review and Transactional Law Competitions.

For Non-Credit: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA)

Each spring, law students from the University of Kansas provide free federal and state tax preparation services to those who qualify through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

Pro Bono program

Performing pro bono service in law school is a great way to give back to the community while gaining hands-on legal experience that enriches students' legal education and better prepares them for practice.

KU Court of Parking Appeals

The university’s Traffic Court offers law students a chance to get experience serving as prosecutors, defense attorneys or judges. The court handles appeals for on-campus traffic citations. 17 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK


STUDENTS GAIN LEGAL EXPERIENCE...

“

“ “

Legal Aid Clinic was my favorite 3L class. I appreciated the personal experience with real clients on everything from expungement, to juvenile cases in district court, to municipal criminal defense. My supervising attorney was invested in my growth and helped me obtain the best outcomes for my clients.” Kelli Ludlum, L’25 | Uniontown, KS | Legal Aid Clinic

The Judicial Field Placement has helped me learn what information a judge will value most in a proceeding. I have gained valuable hands-on experience and gained a large network through this program." Dylan Dupre, L'24 | Houma, LA | Judicial Field Placement

Having the opportunity to work with such wonderful people who not only cared about their jobs, but their community and the next generation of attorneys really was phenomenal to me. It reinforced that I want to be a criminal prosecutor and that I wanted to be like these people who care about their community." Logan Quackenbush, L'25 | Georgetown, KY | Criminal Prosecution Field Placement

“ “ “

I participated in the Sixth Semester in D.C. program to gain practical litigation experience. I now have a better understanding of the federal government's approach to litigation. Some of my favorite moments were when I finally untangled a complicated issue.” Roman Panickar, L'23 | Frederick, MD Sixth Semester in D.C. Program | U.S. Department of Justice The Project for Innocence was one of the most valuable experiences I've had in law school. I was able to work with real clients and write about critical legal issues (including writing an appellate brief). The Project helped me gain valuable practical skills as well as a deeper understanding of the law and the importance of client advocacy." Alex Nelson, L'26 | Stillwater, MN | Project for Innocence Clinic

The Medical-Legal Partnership Field Placement allowed me to get out of the books and apply what I’ve learned to help real people in real situations. I was exposed to a variety of different legal areas and people, giving me a healthy dose of what I might expect upon graduation.” Richard Weber, L'24 | Lawrence, KS Medical-Legal Partnership Field Placement | KU Medical Center

...THROUGH CLINICS AND FIELD PLACEMENTS. HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 18


Course Requirements The required 6 credit hours of experiential coursework can be met by participation in a clinic or field placement, or one or more of the simulation courses listed below. Course offerings are subject to change based on staffing and enrollment. law.ku.edu/requiredcourses#experiential • Advanced Litigation

• Kansas Supreme Court Research Practicum

• Alternative Dispute Resolution

• Legislative Simulation and Study

• Business Planning Seminar

• Life of a Startup

• Contract Drafting

• Mediation and Negotiation Skills Workshop

• Criminal Practice in Kansas

• Mediation Skills Intensive

• Deposition Skills Workshop

• Patent Practice

• Due Diligence Workshop

• Pretrial Advocacy

• Global Data Protection in the Age of AI

• Public Policy Practicum

• Immigration Practice and Advocacy

• Transactional Law Competition

• International Negotiations

• Trial Advocacy

• Jury Selection

19 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 17 KU LAW HANDBOOK


Students are required to complete three upper-level writing courses. The requirement can be satisfied by taking three professional writing-intensive courses or two professional writing-intensive courses and one scholarly writing-intensive course. Course offerings are subject to change based on staffing and enrollment. The same course cannot be used to fulfill more than one of the requirements.

Professional Writing-Intensive Courses

• Appellate Advocacy • Contract Drafting • Criminal Practice in Kansas • Energy Law and Policy • Estate Planning: Practice • Federal Indian Law • Global Data Protection in the Age of AI • Higher Education and the Law • International Business Law Drafting • International Law and Literature • Kansas Supreme Court Research Practicum • Law and Social Change • Legislation and Statutory Interpretation • LGBTQ Seminar • Life of a Startup • Patent Practice • Practice of Privacy Law • Pretrial Advocacy • Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies • Public Policy Practicum • Real Estate Finance

•

• Securities Regulation • Transactional Law Competition • Veterans Legal Support Clinic • Writing for Law Practice

Scholarly Writing-Intensive Courses

• Advanced International Trade Law • Capital Punishment • Comparative Law • Elections and Campaign Finance • Environmental Law Seminar (varied topics) • Fair Housing Seminar • Feminist Jurisprudence • Human Rights Law and Literature • Independent Research (2 credits) • Jurisprudence • Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy (2 semesters) • Kansas Law Review (2 semesters) • Sex Crimes • Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and the Law • Toxic Torts • Water Law

Note that not all of these courses are offered every year. Offerings are subject to change based on staffing and enrollment.

•

Additional courses in these categories, beyond those listed above, may also be offered. Students are advised to review each semester’s options before enrollment.

•

Students cannot take more than 16 total credit hours of clinical and field placement courses.

•

Simulation courses listed on page 19 will satisfy the experiential coursework graduation requirement, but they do not count toward the 16-credit hour maximum for clinical/field placement courses.

HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 20


Kansas Legal Intern Permit Rule 715 Credit hours requirement General credit hours requirement: Students may obtain a student practice permit after completion of 59 credit hours and Professional Responsibility (Law 972) . Under the 59 hours rule, the permit allows students to work in law school clinics, field placements, governmental agencies and law offices. The law school will cover the cost of the permit application. Exception for reduced hours required for in-house law school clinic work: In very limited circumstances, second semester 2Ls can receive a student practice permit after completing 44 credit hours. To meet this exception, students must have successfully completed or be currently enrolled in Professional Responsibility. A permit under this provision is only available if the student is supervised by a licensed attorney who teaches in an in-house law school clinic. At KU Law, that means:

• Second semester 2Ls can obtain student practice permits allowing them to represent clients for the Project for Innocence or the Legal Aid Clinic. Students must still apply and be accepted to enroll in a clinic.

• Second semester 2Ls cannot obtain a student practice permit to work in a field placement, a law office or governmental agency. If the student is not supervised by a licensed attorney who teaches in an in-house law clinic, they must complete 59 credit hours to obtain a permit.

Attorney supervision requirement Permits are valid for practice under a specific, named supervising attorney: The student practice permit is directly tied to the attorney supervising the intern. In other words, the student cannot obtain a permit and move into another job without notifying Attorney Admissions in the Kansas Supreme Court Clerk’s Office. Supervising attorneys must notify the Attorney Admissions office when the student placement with the attorney ends, at which time the student’s permit terminates. To reactivate the permit, a new supervising attorney must submit the appropriate paperwork to the Attorney Admissions office. There is no additional fee or application process to reinstate or transfer a student’s permit; it only requires the new supervising attorney to submit the required form stating the attorney takes responsibility for the student’s legal work during the dates provided. A student permit is not a license to practice law anywhere with any supervisor. The permit is tied to practicing law with the specific supervisor. More details about Rule 715 can be found at law.ku.edu/rule-715.

21 HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK


C L I N I C S

Overview of Clinic and Field Placement Courses Location

Legal Aid Clinic (Fall or Spring)

6

Green Hall

Legal Aid Clinic (Summer)

5

Green Hall

8

Green Hall

Project for Innocence (Summer)

6

Green Hall

Tribal Judicial Support Clinic

3

Green Hall

Veterans Legal Support Clinic

3 to 6

Summerfield Hall

Criminal Prosecution Field Placement

3 to 6

Varies

Elder Law Field Placement

3 to 6

Topeka / KC

Field Placement Program

1 to 6

Varies

Judicial Field Placement (Fall and Spring)

3 per semester

6

Varies

Judicial Field Placement (Summer)

6

Varies

Medical-Legal Partnership Field Placement (Fall or Spring)

3 to 6

LMH or KU Med

Medical-Legal Partnership Field Placement (Summer)

3 to 6

LMH or KU Med

Public Defense Field Placement

1 to 6

Varies

6th Semester in Washington, D.C. Field Placement

6-9 for field placement

Washington, D.C.

Project for Innocence (Fall and Spring)

4 per semester

P L A C E M E N T S

Number of credit hours

F I E L D

Course Name

Students can take a maximum of 16 credit hours of clinic and field placements throughout law school.

HANDS-ON LEARNING HANDBOOK 22


Produced by the Office of Communications at the University of Kansas School of Law, 2026. Editor & designer: Julie Francisco Director of External Affairs Photos: Casey Bacot iStock Photos KU Marketing

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university’s programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY. Reports can be submitted to the Title IX Coordinator by visiting the following website: civilrights.ku.edu/how-report.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Hands-On Learning Handbook | 2026-2027 by University of Kansas School of Law - Issuu