General Information

Hofstra's clinical program began over 30 years ago in a second-floor walk-up above a fish store in the center of Hempstead. Hofstra was a pioneer in fully integrating clinical education into a law school, and by the late 1970s had one of the largest clinical programs in the nation. At first, Hofstra faced resistance and skepticism among practicing attorneys who were concerned that students would take cases away from them, or would not be able to handle real cases and clients. Even after the clinic won the right to represent clients in court through a Student Practice Order in 1972, some judges would not allow students to appear before them. Over the years, however, the clinic has become a well-known, at times notorious, presence in legal circles in Nassau and Queens. The clinic moved from the fish store to a trailer, and then in 1997 to its current site in Joan Axinn Hall. This permanent, state of the art facility, made possible through the generosity of Joan Axinn ’76 and her husband, Donald, has greatly enhanced the clinic’s operations.  The clinical mission, however, has stayed the same: teaching students lawyering skills and analytic methods through the provision of quality legal representation to clients in need.

Participation in a clinic is truly a unique educational opportunity. It may well be the only occasion during a student's law school career literally to "practice" law. In a clinic, students represent actual people and work on actual cases.They advocate in court, counsel clients, conduct fact investigations and mediate disputes. Students not only must think like a lawyer, as they are asked to do in most law school classes, but also act like a lawyer. The experience is both deeply challenging and immensely rewarding. Most students who take part in a clinic look upon their participation as the highlight of their legal education, an experience which enables them to approach the practice of law with confidence and sensitivity.

All seven clinics are one-semester six-credit courses. Each clinic holds a two-hour classroom seminar each week. The seminars develop skills such as interviewing, counseling, negotiation, mediation, fact investigation and trial techniques, and include in-depth discussions about substance and procedure.