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Criminal Defense Clinic

Build critical advocacy skills representing clients while also gaining experience in the courtroom.

Student working with client in the law clinic.

Gain Experience with Our Criminal Law Clinic

Students will have the opportunity to argue in court in contested hearings and jury trials on behalf of clients who have been charged with misdemeanors.

You will learn how to serve clients and build confidence in the courtroom through hands-on experience with criminal cases. Our clinic builds critical lawyering skills such as developing defense strategy, interviewing clients, examining and cross-examining witnesses on the stand, reviewing discovery, and writing and arguing motions.

Our clinic represents a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the community. Oregon has a critical shortage of public defenders, with thousands currently without legal representation. In response, the state has looked to law schools to help prepare qualified attorneys who are ready to begin representing clients on day one of practice. Our Criminal Defense Clinic is at the forefront of preparing the next generation of attorneys to practice criminal law.

A Top Criminal Defense Law Clinic in the Pacific Northwest

If you're interested in becoming a criminal defense lawyer or a trial lawyer, you must develop your courtroom and advocacy skills. You can learn how the criminal justice system functions, work closely alongside experienced attorneys, and build a background in defense work before you graduate. The clinic also prepares students for the courtroom, no matter what area of law they practice. See why Willamette's School of Law is one of the top law schools for criminal law in the Pacific Northwest.

A student gaining practice within the courtroom

Additional Information

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.

Other Clinics at Willamette

We prioritize combining theory with hands-on experience to prepare our law students for a future in the legal system. Gain the skills necessary for a legal career and bolster your resume through our law clinics.

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