The 麦克乔治法学院 helped eliminate a staggering $162 million of criminal debt in the fall, worked with 80 Afghan refugees trying to remain in the United States 和 recovered more than $4 million for financial abuse victims.

The life-changing legal assistance is the work of students in the law school’s 法律诊所, which have been providing free services to people in the Sacramento community since 1964.

法律 students involved with the school’s seven 法律诊所 serve as legal counsel to low-income 和 underserved members of the community as they navigate a variety of legal challenges. 学生代理刑事被告, 调解囚犯的民事权利诉求，推动立法改革.

“The clinics have been providing quality ethical 和 competent legal services for nearly 60 years to those who have no other means to access social justice,临床法学教授说 梅丽莎·布朗, who serves as director of the 法律诊所 和 supervises the Elder & 卫生法诊所. “Community Legal Services is committed to represent the ‘whole’ client, 这通常涉及跨学科的合作和解决方案.

“学生们学习如何识别这些问题, 研究, 起草文件, case management skills 和 how to apply their legal education to benefit their clients. Our students carry these skills 和 values into their legal careers,” Brown said.

The clinics afford McGeorge students the invaluable opportunity to gain h和s-on experience as they represent clients in probate, 移民, 优越的, 破产和联邦法院. They learn the art 和 skill of mediation 和 legislative advocacy. 诊所学生学习将法律理论应用于实践, 培养专业的律师技能, gain practical experience advocating for clients 和 come to learn in a real way how lawyers change lives.

其中四家诊所在校内运营. 统称为社区法律服务,y operate year-round as a law firm with up to 50 certified law students 和 seven attorneys. 学生在以下领域与客户合作 破产, 老年人和健康法, 无家可归的宣传 和 移民法 在律师的监督下.

“Taking part in the Immigration 法律 Clinic was the highlight of my time at McGeorge because I got to interact with clients 和 guide them through the legal system,Yessica López ' 22说, 在布莱克·诺达尔律师的监督下工作. “I made decisions on my clients’ cases that affect the rest of their lives.”

Three off-campus clinics give students the opportunity to work in federal courts, 监狱和立法机构 联邦辩护律师诊所, 立法和公共政策诊所 和 囚犯民事权利调解诊所.

McGeorge houses one of only two 联邦辩护律师诊所s in the country where students h和le bench 和 jury trials in federal court. 在囚犯民权调解诊所, students participate in all aspects of mediating claims such as excessive force that are filed in the Federal Court. 立法和公共政策诊所 students have a success record matching that of many professional lobbyists. Since the 立法和公共政策诊所 was established in 2015, students have drafted 17 bills that have been enacted into law—several of which were related to issues identified by Community Legal Services as calling for a legislative fix.

McGeorge was the sixth law school in the nation 和 first on the West Coast to require students to complete two authentic law practice experiences. 法律 students’ participation in one or more of these clinics counts toward this experiential learning requirement, as does completing one of the more than 125 externship opportunities, including placements with state 和 federal trial 和 appellate court judges, 州和联邦机构以及非营利组织.

这些诊所最近的宣传包括:

• Students involved in the 首页less Advocacy Clinic in the fall helped eliminate more than $162 million of criminal debt on approximately 622,000例交通违规, 包括住在车里, 野营, 乞讨和其他活动. The Sacramento Superior Court agreed to issue refunds to individuals from whom it illegally collected civil assessment fees.
• The Immigration 法律 Clinic represents non-citizens who otherwise would be unable to obtain legal representation. 3月17日，该校在校园内举办了一场移民博览会. 穿过集市, 24 students assisted 80 Afghan refugees with their applications for Temporary Protected Status.
• 这个春天，长老 & Health Clinic is hosting a three-part elder abuse awareness roadshow called “‘NO.是一个完整的句子:对虐待老人说不!” The live theater events showcase professional actors performing scenes of common financial exploitation. The clinic partnered with Capital Stage for the interactive theater event that explores how financial elder abuse occurs 和 demonstrate how 和 why to say "no" to family, 朋友和律师. 明年还计划进行几次路演.
• 在2021年和2022年，长老 & 卫生法诊所 recovered more than $4 million in assets for their elder financial abuse clients.

Community Legal Services has seen a continual increase in the number of people it serves, 案件结案，社会经济效益显著. 2021年和2022年, Community Legal Services generated more than $5 million in economic benefits, 已结案699宗, 和 provided legal assistance 和 representation that benefited 763 individual clients in addition to 1,104个家庭成员.

Community Legal Services is located on 麦克乔治法学院’s campus at 2925 34th Street in Sacramento. 法律援助的请求只能通过预约. 社区法律服务可电邮至 clsmcg@17talkshopping.com 或致电916-340-6080. 电话时间从早上9点开始.m.–12 p.m. 下午1:30-4点.m. 在工作日.