Program Overview

Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University offers a range of programs, including those at the Schulich School of Law.

Schulich School of Law

The Schulich School of Law provides students with an opportunity to practice lawyering skills in a community law office located in north-end Halifax.

LAWS 2003 Clinical Law

Course Description

The Dalhousie Legal Aid Service (the Clinic) provides third-year students with an opportunity to practice lawyering skills in a community law office located in north-end Halifax. This thirteen-credit course can be taken over the Fall, Winter, or Summer terms.

Course Details

• Students can take one other course along with the clinic.
• While studying clinical law, students will conduct themselves as lawyers in a social justice context.
• As such, students will be responsible for counseling clients, negotiating with other lawyers, preparing cases, and conducting hearings in Provincial and Supreme Courts as well as before administrative tribunals.
• Students are also exposed to files using law reform and community development as related to poverty law issues.
• All casework is supervised by staff lawyers or community legal workers.
• Each student initially receives 10-15 client files and community files.
• Formal seminar and skills training sessions take place during the first six weeks of the course.
• Skills training includes:
  • Interviewing and counseling
  • Issue identification
  • Building a theory
  • Negotiation
  • Direct examination
  • Cross-examination
  • Basic trial skills
• Seminars cover the topics of:
  • Social assistance
  • Residential tenancies
  • Child protection
  • Family and criminal law (YCJA)
  • Law reform
  • Other subject areas
• Writing requirement: Students will create a Reflective Portfolio over the course of their term and submit selected evidence of their best written work.
• Limited to 16 students in the Fall and Winter; 12 students in the Summer.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

• Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure (LAWS 2361 & 2362). Family and Evidence are strongly recommended.
• Co-requisite(s): Highly recommended but not mandatory: Evidence (LAWS 2008) and Family Law (LAWS 2110)

Assessment Method

• Pass/Honours/Fail
• Oral feedback is provided at mid-term and written feedback at the conclusion of the course
• In the normal course, a student would not be assigned any numerical grade and a student's performance would not be counted in determining a weighted average
• However, in the event of a failure, or that the student is otherwise no longer entitled to complete third year or to write a supplemental because he/she does not have an average of 55, a numerical grade will be assigned and this grade will be counted in the weighted average

Restrictions

• This course is restricted to Third Year students only
• Students who have completed or wish to complete LAWS 2092: Clinical Class in Criminal Law are not eligible to take this course
• Students can take one other course along with the clinic
• This course is unavailable to International Linkages students