Fair Housing Clinic Spring Semester 2006

Overview

The Fair Housing Clinic at the Howard University School of Law is bolstered by the fact that the law school has an impressive array of housing courses that assist the law school in augmenting a law student’s knowledge of fair housing laws and housing discrimination laws. Law students are, therefore, able to take courses that will improve their knowledge of fair housing and housing laws in the U.S. Students who register for the clinic will have a broad knowledge of these laws and will be able to better apply the laws to the simulations and projects that they will encounter in the Fair Housing Clinic.

Among the courses at the Howard University School of Law that are relevant to the Fair Housing Curriculum now include the following:

  1. Housing Discrimination Seminar
  2. Housing Litigation Seminar
  3. Fair Housing Externship
  4. Predatory Lending
  5. Property II

All of the above courses allow the students to prepare for or augment their experience in the Fair Housing Clinic with a comfortable level of knowledge with respect to the necessary clinical material.

Spring 2006

Fair Housing Clinic
Spring Syllabus — 2006
For New & Advanced Students
Instructor: Professor Brian G. Gilmore
Office Location G-8 Phone 202.806.8267
E-mail -or-
E-mail

202.549.2277 (cellular phone)

Clinical Program Director: Professor Tamar Meekins
E-mail
202.806.8176
Classroom G-106 — Holy Cross

Office Hours Monday and Wednesday 10:00-11:30 (and/or by appointment)

Class Meeting Time

Fair Housing Clinic meets Tuesday and Thursday each week from 3:00-4:15 pm unless the class is cancelled or if the class is cancelled for purposes of conducting mock trials, simulations, or to allow students to work on assignments.

Course Description

Fair Housing Clinic is a clinical course that combines simulated exercises, discussion of relevant case law, development of advocacy skills, mock trial skills, direct representation, and other clinical law operations and services (provided by students) to advance students’ understanding and ability in the area of fair housing law/housing law and advocacy. Course will also entail significant time devoted to the continued development of the clinic itself.

NEW STUDENTS:
Students registered for the clinic for the first time should anticipate an initial training period on basic skills in the fair housing area. These skills include training in Fair Housing testing, interviewing, intake procedure, case development and advocacy, ethics, and also working directly on the development of structure for the clinic.

ADVANCED STUDENTS: Advanced students registered for the clinic will receive fair housing assignments on actual cases and issues as they come to the clinic. Initial work will include cases through the D.C. Office of Human Rights where we will assist in evaluating the cases that come to that office. Advanced students will be required to maintain files on their work through that office in the Fair Housing Clinic office. These files will be updated and maintained in a professional and confidential manner in accordance with all relevant rules and procedures of the clinic and the code of professional responsibility. Advanced students will also be engaged in research projects on an on-going basis that deal with fair housing and housing issues of concern to the clinic’s work. Advanced students will also be expected and will be required to make additional contributions to the clinic’s development and its operation components.

Recommended Materials: To be assigned.

TWEN

The clinic will make use TWEN for the posting of the syllabus, updates, assignments, reading materials, and for the submission of some clinical assignments. The password will be provided at the introductory class. The password is confidential as is all materials in the clinic. All students should sign onto the TWEN site for Fair Housing Clinic Spring 2006 at the beginning of the semester.

Course Objectives/Mission

Clinic students acquire crucial skills in communication, fact gathering, persuasion, legal and data analysis, and writing that prepare them to address the multifaceted needs clients will present. These skills are developed along with an understanding of how an ethical and professionally responsible lawyer represents a client zealously and competently. Clinic will culminate with mock trial skills exercises on fair housing issues which will form a good portion of a student’s grade in the clinic. Students will also have the unique opportunity to structure the Fair Housing clinic itself by assisting on all pertinent details on the clinic’s development as an entity on campus and in the city in which it is located. This should include the development of a policy manual for the clinic that will detail how the clinic shall operate in the future. Advanced students will be engaged in typical fair housing work and work in a law clinic setting.

Course Requirements

As stated previously, new students should expect to complete the following over the course of the fall semester with respect to the fair housing clinic: - Litigation and/or trial skills; - Legal simulations; - Pleading drafting assignments: Complaints, Research memorandum, Letter to Client. - Meetings with instructor on clinical development and personal progress in clinical exercises; - Ethics training; - Satisfactory classroom attendance and participation. - Clinic Development; & - Mock Trial work

Advanced students (students carrying over from the previous semester) should anticipate working on real fair housing issues and cases. This may include investigation services to the D.C. Office of Human Rights and assistance to the Commission on Human Rights. It will also entail assisting in the development of a training video.

Student Responsibilities

  • Attendance: New students are required to attend all classes in the Fair Housing Clinic. Students are expected to arrive timely for the clinic rounds and timely for any other meetings relating to the clinic. If for some reason, you will be absent or significantly tardy for class, it is best to contact the instructor prior to the commencement of class. In accordance with the Howard University School of Law attendance policy as set forth in the Student Reference Manual, attendance is mandatory and subject to all provisions of the policy, including the awarding of a failing grade for this clinic. Attendance will be taken for clinic rounds via the circulation of a sign in attendance sheet. If a student is more than 15 minutes late for class, they will be considered absent for the day. Students who fail to comply with the Howard University Attendance Policy will be subject to administrative withdrawal for the class if they exceed 25 percent limit prior to the last day to drop the clinic.
  • All students are required to attend the ethics training on January 12 (2006) — You will be advised of the date. All students are also required to attend case management training on January 19, 2006. Advanced students are not required to attend all classes; however, advanced students will be notified of mandatory classes. Advanced students are required to meet once a week with the clinical supervising attorney. Advanced students are also required as directed to work in the clinic on other tasks. This could entail designated assignments or designated hours working in the clinic.
  • During clinic rounds, all cell phones and electrical devices must be turned off.
  • Preparation. Be prepared for clinical classes. If the students are unprepared, the discussion and exercises will not be engaging, and the development of the clinic and the clinical skills of the participants will be challenged and/or compromised. Students should expect to be called upon for oral presentation and response in class in order to further the discussion of the principles in the clinic.
  • Writing Assignments Complete written assignments in a timely manner. There will be no make-ups for these assignments; in addition, the writing assignments are directly aimed at particular skills you will need to develop once you become a full-time practicing attorney regardless of your field of choice. They provide you with an opportunity to develop your skills under real conditions.
  • Individual Meetings Shortly after the beginning of the semester, students will be required to meet on a regular basis with the instructor in order to discuss performance, and address any concerns they may have with respect to the progression of the clinic and how well they are meeting the goals of the clinic as an individual. Sessions should be scheduled in advance during office hours or at a time flexible to both parties.
  • Statement on Cheating/Professional Responsibility: All students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Academic Code of Conduct in the H-Book and the Student Reference Manual. Grading and Evaluation: Grading and evaluation in the clinic will be based upon attendance and class participation, satisfactory completion of clinical assignments, performance in clinical exercises, simulation, and performance and preparation for the mock skills exercises, in addition to any other work as assigned in this clinic. Students will be graded and evaluated specifically on each and every exercise in which they participate in while in the Fair Housing Clinic. These assignments will comprise the entire grade for the semester. The breakdown with respect to how each component of the course is computed into a student’s grade is as follows: Litigation and/or Trial Skills 40% Class Participation & Attendance 10% Writing Assignments 20% Simulated Exercises 10% Clinic Development 10% Advanced students will be evaluated on the basis of their work produced in the clinic and any and all other assignments they are given through the clinic, whether real or simulated. This actual work includes the following: attendance at mandatory meetings and classes, clinic development assignments, work assignments through cases, and ability to accomplish any and all tasks.

ALL STUDENTS

During the month of April, the clinic will recognize Fair Housing month. The students are expected to develop a community outreach project for that month. This project will be presented during the first week of April before the end of the semester.

Statement on ADA Procedures:

Howard University is committed to providing an educational environment that is accessible to all students. In accordance with this policy students in need of accommodations due to a disability should contact the Office of the Dean for Special Student Services for verification and determination of reasonable accommodations as soon as possible after admission to the University, or at the beginning of each semester. The Dean of the Office of Student Special Services, Dr. Barbara Williams, can be reached at 202.238.2420.

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