Clinics—External Clinics

Supervising Attorneys: Ed Higgins, Diana Garrett, and Janna Gobeo

Faculty Supervisor:
Eduardo Capulong
406.243.6707
eduardo.capulong@umontana.edu


(Maximum of 4 students)

Montana Legal Services Association provides access to justice for low income clients in civil cases. Student interns will have an opportunity to represent domestic violence survivors in a variety of civil legal matters including family law cases, and landlord tenant issues. MLSA has a holistic approach to its clients, and will attempt to meet all of their legal needs, which may include additional areas of practice such as public benefits, housing law, consumer law, and others. Interns may also represent and advise low income people in other areas of Montana through use of video conferencing technology. Representation may include court appearances using this ground-breaking technology as a way to provide legal services to rural communities.

Interns are fully integrated members of the law firm. Cases will be assigned to the intern and each intern will be expected to handle a variety of cases as if she/he were an associate in a firm. Interns work under the supervision of a supervising attorney but are given significant responsibility for their cases. Interns can expect to appear before District Court Judges, Standing Masters, and Administrative Law Judges. In addition to an opportunity to use litigation skills in a contested hearing, interns will gain practical general practice skills such as client interviewing techniques, negotiation skills, document drafting, and legal research.

MLSA clients have nowhere else to turn for legal assistance, and are highly appreciative of the work done on their behalf by student interns. Students will leave their clinical experience knowing that they have made a real difference in someone's life.