Student Enrollment Information

This section provides answers to questions concerning student enrollment and requirements of clinic interns and externs.

Crediting
Students may earn a maximum of 15 semester hours of credit in clinic programs. On occasion, students can enroll for additional hours to complete case work but in no event can they take more than 20 hours of combined clinic/non-law-school credit. In any given semester, the maximum number of credits available is as follows for each position listed:

• 15 semester hours of credit (clinical semester): Iowa Attorney General, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, Judge Robert Pratt's Chambers, Judge Ronald Longstaff's Chambers, and Youth Law Center (all in Des Moines). This crediting includes 13 semester hours of credit for fieldwork and the clinic classroom component, and 2 semester hours of credit for a mandatory research paper
  
• 6 semester hours of credit: Student Legal Services
  
• 6 semester hours of credit: Iowa City City Attorney
  
• 9 semester hours of credit: All other externships
  
• 9 semester hours of credit: In-house clinic.

Clinic Hours Requirements

During the fall and spring semesters, a student enrolled in the clinic must be present in the clinic 3-4 hours per credit hour per week. For example, a student taking 9 credits must commit to at least 27-36 hours per week. During the summer semester a student must commit to 4.5 hours per credit hour per week. For 9 hours this means working full-time.

Clinic Classroom Component

A required element of every student's first semester in any clinic program (in-house and externship) is the classroom component. The classroom component consists of eight weeks of skills training through small group simulation exercises for 90 minutes per week.

Course Work Outside the Clinic

During the fall and spring semesters you may take up to 15 semester hours of credit, including clinic. Students enrolled in the clinic for 9 hours cannot take more than a total of 15 semester hours  of credit, except with the permission of the clinic faculty. Since the summer is considered full-time for 9 semester hours of credit placements, no other classes are allowed. If you have a question about additional commitments, talk to the Clinic faculty.

Clinic Grades

All clinic programs are graded numerically.