Criminal Defense Clinic

Criminal Defense Clinic

Liz Justesen
Director of the Criminal Defense Clinic and
Adjunct Professor of Law 

This clinic engages students in “Holistic Lawyering”- treating the whole client in a criminal case. Students learn about the concepts of holistic lawyering, client interviewing and communication, bail reform, integrating social work services to help clients navigate the court system, discovery reform and review, investigation, omnibus motion writing, mitigation, plea bargaining, trial prep and dealing with the collateral consequences of justice system involvement. Students will practice real criminal defense work by handling current violation and misdemeanor criminal cases assigned to The Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County in the Cohalan Criminal Court in Central Islip. 12 clinic case hours are required per week in addition to the class time and assignments and readings for seminar.

Initially, students will learn about criminal arraignments, and then actually arraign clients assigned to The Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County in court. Students will then learn about “working a criminal case” and be assigned several cases through the semester to manage, under the supervision of their clinic professor, from start to finish. 

Enrollment in this clinic requires Evidence as a prerequisite, Criminal Procedure as a pre or co-requisite, an interview with the clinic professor, additional screening by the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society, and is limited to 5 students.