New Public Defense Practicum Partnership
During the 2024–25 academic year, Lewis & Clark Law School is offering a yearlong Public Defense Practicum with in partnership with Metropolitan Public Defenders (MPD).
In the practicum, second- and third-year law students work in a cohort of 8 to 12 peers under the close supervision of a dedicated attorney at MPD. The practicum covers all stages of misdemeanor case representation, including interviewing and advising clients, investigating cases, drafting and arguing motions, negotiating case resolutions, participating in trials, and presenting at sentencing hearings. The supervising attorney provides instruction and training in client counseling, case assessment, courtroom skills, and negotiations.
The partnership with MPD provides law students with practical experience in public defense at a time when Oregon is facing a crisis-level shortage of public defenders.
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