Academic Year
Supervising Attorney: Kris McLean, Tim Racicot, Cyndee Peterson, Tara Elliott, Robert Anderson
Faculty Supervisor: Associate Professor Jordan Gross
Clinic Tracks
This Field Placement requires an extensive background check and security clearance. The security clearance application process begins approximately three (3) months prior to the start of semester in which the student is enrolled. If you have any questions about the federal security clearance process, you should speak with Geri Fox before making your clinic selection.
There are two placement categories in this office: (1) General criminal and (2) Environmental Crimes. The two placement categories have different supervising attorneys, different prerequisites, and different assignments, as set forth below.
General Criminal
Prerequisite: Professional Responsibility
Pre- or Co-Requisite: Criminal Procedure - Investigative, Criminal Procedure - Adjudicative
Recommended: White Collar Crime
Areas of Law: Federal Criminal and Regulatory Law (primary), may include some Civil Law.
Lawyering Skills: Litigation, research and writing, negotiation, communication.
Sample Projects:
Appear in court, communicate and negotiate with defense counsel and pro se defendants, interview witnesses Perform legal research, draft motions.
General Information:
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana has offices in Billings, Great Falls, Helena, Butte, and Missoula. The Missoula office is responsible for criminal cases prosecuted by the United States in the Missoula, Helena, Butte and Great Falls Divisions of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.
Assignments may include appearances (initial appearances and detention hearings) and trials involving misdemeanor offenses on federal lands before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, research and pretrial briefing for criminal cases, and research and brief writing for appeals before the Ninth Circuit. The AUSAs in Missoula handle a variety of cases, including offenses involving drugs, firearms, fraud, violent crime, child pornography, and immigration.
Environmental Crimes
Prerequisites: Professional Responsibility, Introduction to Environmental Law, Evidence
Pre- or Co Requisite: Criminal Procedure-Investigative, Criminal Procedure-Adjudicative
Recommended: Wildlife Law
Areas of Law: Federal Wildlife Criminal Law (primary).
General Information: Robert Anderson from the Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice prosecutes federal criminal cases (in Montana and other federal district courts) involving violations of wildlife laws including the Endangered Species Act, the Lacey Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Many cases arise from long-term undercover investigations of criminal syndicates engaged in organized illegal international trafficking in protected wildlife species. Students working with Mr. Anderson will primarily assist with case review, research and writing.