Criminal Defense Clinic

Criminal law defines behaviors that are considered offenses against society and establishes the punishments for those who commit them. It seeks to protect the public, uphold justice, and ensure fairness through due process and the presumption of innocence. Studying criminal law equips students to understand how the legal system responds to wrongdoing while safeguarding individual rights.

To become a criminal defense lawyer, you will need a bachelor's degree and a juris doctor (JD) degree. In order to stand out from other law school graduates, it is important to develop experience through clinics, classroom experiences, internships, externships, clerkships, and pro bono activities.

In order to practice, law school graduates must pass the bar examination. In Oregon, graduates also have the option to pursue the Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE). Oregon is one of the few states that offers a pathway to practicing law that provides an alternative to the traditional bar exam. For SPPE, aspiring lawyers must complete 675 hours working under an experienced attorney and submit a portfolio of work to the Board of Bar Examiners for evaluation. Students can complete 100 of these hours during law school in the form of legal clinics or externships. 

Students planning to go to law school should develop skills in reading, writing, and communication in any subject area of their passion. Willamette College offers an undergraduate pre-law program for students to learn foundational material that enables success in law school applications. Our law clinic provides valuable experience for those interested in practicing criminal law. Choose a law school like Willamette, where hands-on experience goes hand in hand with classroom learning.

Our clinic provides students with resume experience that stands out. Students can also make connections with public defenders, criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, law firms, and clients that can propel their career path.

Our defense clinic puts law students in front of clients, juries, and judges, under the supervision of a professor who is an experienced defense attorney. The clinic works in tandem with a class. The classroom component of the course focuses on explaining the context and contours of the criminal justice system.