Civil Practice Clinic

Our Civil Practice Clinic puts students in the driver’s seat of challenging civil litigation. Students provide access to justice for low-income clients by representing them in state and federal courts, while developing their own litigation skills.

Faculty supervisors provide one-on-one case supervision and mentoring, while a twice-weekly seminar strengthens students’ overall advocacy skills through readings, film, exercises, and simulations with actors.

In the News

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Students in the Fall 2022 Civil Practice Clinic honed their lawyering skills while advocating for clients’ rights in housing, debt collection, guardianship, and more.

Lasting Lessons from the Civil Practice Clinic

Two Penn Carey Law School alumni who pursued New York City law firm employment after graduation credit their Civil Practice Clinic experiences for their professional success.

Civil Forfeiture

Explore our resources for reporters, advocates, and residents facing civil asset forfeiture cases.

Civil Forfeiture Resource Page

Recent Achievements

In 2022-2023, Civil Practice Clinic students…

-Preserved housing stability for a low-income parent of two young children by helping the family avoid eviction. Students negotiated a settlement eliminating over $6,000 in alleged outstanding rent.

-Achieved the withdrawal of a five-figure lawsuit brought by a local hospital against the client who was led to believe that a necessary surgery was fully covered by insurance. The client feared losing her house over the debt, but now rests assured that she will be able to keep her home.

-Represented a mother with limited English fluency, helping her successfully obtained a guardianship court order allowing her to protect her adult son’s interests and assist him in making essential health care and financial decisions.

-And much more! The Civil Practice Clinic continues to help clients with issues including unpaid wages, tangled titles, eviction defense, disability benefits, consumer violations, and many other civil legal issues. Our students’ legal victories often have life-changing impact for their clients.