Gittis Center for Clinical Legal Studies

“Our clinics allow students to build relationships with diverse clients, develop essential lawyering skills, and apply their talents and creativity in a real-world, professional setting.”

— Louis Rulli, Director of Clinical Programs and Practice Professor of Law

One of the Nation’s Premier Teaching Law Firms

Penn Law Clinics are specially designed to help students develop core lawyering competencies — drawn from challenging experiential learning opportunities in litigation, business transactions, child advocacy, mediation, legislation, interdisciplinary practice, international lawyering, appellate lawyering, and IP and technology law.

Under the close supervision of the Clinic’s expert faculty, students hone their skills in a firm environment while serving the community, the nation, and the world. 

A Long and Distinguished History

For more than three decades our students have been certified by federal and state courts to represent indigent clients in civil litigation and criminal defense proceedings in the Civil Practice Clinic and Criminal Defense Clinic.

Penn was one of the early leaders to broaden clinical legal education to include lawmaking through the Legislative Clinic and to bring professional students in medicine, law, and social work together to meet the special challenges of at-risk children in its Child Advocacy Clinic. Our students are actively engaged in appellate lawyering at the very highest levels in the Supreme Court Clinic and the Federal Appellate Litigation Externship.

We invite you to learn more about our individual clinics and our diverse externship program.