Criminal Justice Clinic

The Criminal Justice Clinic is offered as a full-year graded course during the Fall and Spring semesters and consists of two sections – Criminal Defense and Criminal Prosecution. Participants earn four credit hours per semester and earn a total of eight credit hours for the year. Participants are limited to third year law students and a maximum 16 students (8 students per section) are selected for this clinic.

The Criminal Defense section provides a community service by representing defendants in criminal cases who would otherwise be unable to afford their own legal representation. Cases involve misdemeanors, felonies, and juvenile offenses in Lubbock County and the surrounding metropolitan area. Students are closely supervised at all stages of their cases by Associate Professor Patrick S. Metze. The clinic also works closely with members of the local and state bars to expose students to professional development, networking, and Continuing Law Education (CLE) opportunities while still in law school.

By the end of the course, each student will have represented 4-6 clients. Students are fully responsible for their cases, from intake through disposition. The classroom component of the clinic focuses on skills development, ethics, and case strategy related to criminal law. Students also have the opportunity to hone their writing skills by drafting motions and appellate briefs.

The Criminal Prosecution section provides students an opportunity to investigate, prepare, and try misdemeanors on behalf of the City of Lubbock. Under the guidance of experienced prosecutors, students serve as lead counsel on their own cases. Students also attend a weekly seminar taught by Professor Glenn Roque-Jackson that enhances their courtroom skills and gives them insight into the inner workings of the criminal justice system. By the end of the course, students will have tried several cases and learned what is required to be an effective and ethical prosecutor.

The clinical experience will benefit students regardless of whether they wish to go into prosecution, defense, litigation, or transactional work. Participants handle a variety of phases of client representation, which may include, but are not limited to:

• Investigating cases
• Preparing cases for trial
• Interviewing and counseling clients
• Representing clients in hearings, and on occasion, representing clients in trials

• The Criminal Justice Clinic is open to third year law students only.
• Required Classes: Evidence, Criminal Procedure, and Professional Responsibility
• Recommended prerequisites: Texas Criminal Procedure, Trial Advocacy, and/or moot court or mock trial experience
• Students cannot be on academic probation.
• Accepted students cannot be enrolled concurrently in another clinic or externship, may not have outside employment (although exceptions can be made), and may not sit for the February bar exam
• Enrollment is by application and invitation only