Traditional Clinics
A Traditional Clinical Course within the A2J Clinical Project is one in which students build projects for use by the law school’s clinic and outside legal aid organizations. These projects could: (a) help with the legal issues frequently addressed by the clinic and be delivered to other legal aid organizations that are in a position to disseminate them more widely; or (b) come from the legal aid community.
Within this model are specialized clinical courses that focus on assisting clients with specific legal issues. These clinics incorporate A2J Author as a way of exploring and learning the substantive area of law in which the clinic specializes. Students learn about a problem and develop a solution. Most of these courses range from 6-12 credit hours per semester, so A2J Author training and development could be one part of the curriculum rather than being the sole focus of the course. This model can potentially produce a number of nationally relevant A2J Guided Interviews in specific areas of law.
Professionalism Courses
The second model within the A2J Clinical Project is the Professionalism Course. The professional course model is exemplified by “Becoming a Professional,” which is offered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This model teaches students principles that produce effective legal practitioners and helps students develop their professional identity. Moreover, it stresses the importance of developing technological competencies, including A2J Author, as imperative to students’ employment searches and career development as a lawyer in the 21st century.
Hybrid Legal Skills Seminars/Practicums
Courses following this model teach technology skills in addition to legal practice skills. Hybrid courses focus on building tools for outside legal aid organizations while teaching students legal technology skills that will be useful throughout their careers. Student projects within this model come from either requests by those within the legal aid community or are initiated by students passionate about certain legal issues. They are then delivered to the relevant legal aid organization.
