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LAW CLINICS
Criminal Justice Clinic
The criminal justice system needs repair. Though crime rates have fallen over the past four decades, the U.S. still has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Since its founding in 1972, USF’s Criminal Justice Clinic has been at the forefront of the fight for justice on behalf of clinic clients.
Work With the San Francisco Public Defender's Office
The University of San Francisco School of Law has long had a close and unique relationship with the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, offering USF second and third year students the opportunity to get hands-on experience litigating criminal cases.
Students in the Criminal Justice Clinic attend a weekly seminar together with peers from the Racial Justice Clinic. Clinic students who express a specific interest in litigating pretrial and trial cases may be assigned to work with experienced attorneys at the San Francisco Public Defender's Office. Student-clinicians will then attend an orientation with veteran San Francisco Deputy Public Defender and USF Professor Jacque Wilson. Professor Wilson will pair each student with a public defender in the misdemeanor or felony division.
Gain Valuable Litigation Experience
This fast-paced placement exposes students to a variety of litigation experiences, including:
- Interviewing clients who have been newly arrested to help prepare their bail applications
- Litigating-under close supervision-a preliminary hearing or arguing a 995 motion or a motion to suppress
- Motion-writing
- Investigation and fact development
- Second-chairing a trial
Students selected for the San Francisco Public Defender placement arrange their schedule so they can spend full days at the San Francisco Public Defender's Office. In addition to scheduling flexibility, students are encouraged to be proactive in following up with their assigned public defender and to volunteer early and often to help with whatever matter is most pressing. In this way, trust and rapport can be built with the student's public defender partner, which goes a long way toward a student receiving more challenging work.
Faculty
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- Lara Bazelon
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- Jacque Wilson
Practicing Excellence With Empathy
As a student, Gary Goodman '88 enrolled in the Criminal Justice Clinic and "caught the bug." Forty years later, his son Gray Goodman '24 did the same.
