Field Placement
Academic Year (Up to Full Semester)

Faculty Supervisor

Supervising Attorneys

Charlie Cromwell, Audrey Cromwell, Shannon Foley

Prerequisite

Professional Responsibility

Pre-Requisite or Co-Requisite

Criminal, Civil, & Family Law:  Criminal Procedure - Investigative, Criminal Procedure – Adjudicative, Family Law

Transactional: Business Organizations

Areas of Emphasis

Criminal law and procedure; family law; landlord/tenant law; consumer protection law; torts; contracts; civil procedure; employment law; immigration law; business and non-profit law, tax advice/counsel, entity formation, and intellectual property protection (through ASMSU Legal’s partnership with MSU’s Blackstone Launchpad); simple estate planning; advising and counseling on Title IX issues; identification of legal issues; legal research, analysis and writing; factual investigation and development; independent problem-solving; objective and persuasive oral and written communication; client interviewing and counseling; professional ethics; negotiation; plea bargaining; civil litigation; criminal defense litigation; cross-professional collaboration; access to justice; office practice and procedure; and use of latest legal practice technology.

Sample Projects

• Misdemeanor criminal: advise and represent clients in plea negotiations, appearances, and trials.
• Landlord/tenant: advise and represent clients; draft demand letters; mediate disputes.
• Limited scope representation in family law matters, including child support modification, parenting plan drafting, assisting with orders of protection, and general dissolution matters.
• Assist Blackstone Launchpad students and MSU non-profit student organizations with entity formation, tax advice/counsel, document/agreement drafting, etc.
• Assist international MSU students with immigration, criminal, and discrimination legal issues through ASMSU Legal’s partnership with the Office of International Programs.

General Information

Practicing in the ASMSU Legal Services Program is the quintessential general practice experience. Clinical associates will hone the skills necessary to counsel clients, research legal issues, organize their practice, negotiate with prosecutors or opposing counsel, and utilize cutting-edge legal technologies and practice management tools. Clinical associates will meet one-on-one with MSU student-clients and will, over the course of the semester, become primarily responsible for their cases. Under the supervision of the ASMSU attorneys, clinical associates will perform the full range of attorney activities, including: legal advice and counseling, negotiations, attending mediations, attending student disciplinary hearings, researching, drafting demand letters, plea-bargaining, and attending court, which may include hearings, judge trials and occasional jury trials.