Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law’s legal clinics provide students with the opportunity to attain real-world experience by working on actual cases under the supervision of clinical specialists and seasoned practitioners. In addition to classroom training sessions, students engage in hands-on fieldwork with clients, research projects, document preparation, brief writing, and court appearances. Several of these clinical programs provide pro-bono services to members of the community in need of legal aid.
» Clinics
Criminal Defense Clinic
Offered in partnership with the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, our Criminal Defense Clinic is a unique opportunity for students to gain real-world experience working closely with public defenders in a courtroom setting, defending felony and misdemeanor cases.
Criminal Prosecution Clinic
Offered in partnership with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, this clinic provides a unique opportunity for students to work directly with Assistant District Attorneys in the courtroom, assisting in the prosecution of felonies and misdemeanors.
Dispute Resolution for Juveniles Clinic
The Dispute Resolution for Juveniles is a clinic based on the tenets of Restorative Justice, an approach to criminal justice that aims, through reconciliation with the victim, to repair the harm caused by the offender’s criminal behavior.
Advanced Dispute Resolution for Juveniles Clinic
The Advanced Dispute Resolution for Juveniles Clinic is a clinic based on the tenets of Restorative Justice, an approach to criminal justice that aims, through reconciliation with the victim, to repair the harm caused by the offender’s criminal behavior.
Entertainment Contracts Law Clinic
The Entertainment Contracts Law Clinic provides students with a unique opportunity to work directly with independent filmmakers, serving as production legal counsel for feature length motion pictures. Under the supervision of veteran entertainment law faculty, participating students set up corporations and LLCs, file for copyrights, and draft all production-related contracts.
Mediation Clinic
The Mediation Clinic allows students to develop and use mediation skills through frequent practice with actual clients under the supervision of a mediation professor and mediators in the Superior Court. Students gain hands-on experience with real litigants in a variety of different areas, mediating approximately 700 cases each year.
Advanced Mediation Clinic
The Advanced Mediation Clinic provides an opportunity for students who have completed a semester in the Mediation Clinic to continue mediating court cases. Students in the advanced clinic seek ways to expand their mediation skills by working with mediation practitioners and exploring various techniques employed in mediation.
Tax Law Clinic
The Tax Law Clinic is the oldest clinical program at the Fowler School of Law. The program offers both trial and appellate tax clinic opportunities to our students. Through the program, students have served thousands of taxpayers, saving millions of dollars in taxes since launching in 1997.
Tax Procedure and Administration Clinic
The clinical component of the Tax Procedure and Administration course allows students to handle actual tax controversy cases for taxpayers on a pro bono basis before the IRS and in U.S. Tax Court under special rules of student practice. Students learn the practical application of tax procedures and handle all aspects of their cases, including trial if necessary.