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Clinics Enrollment Policy

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  1. Timing of Enrollment. In accordance with the North Carolina State Bar rules governing the practical training of students, a student may enroll in any of the Law school's clinics as early as the fall semester of their second year. 
  2. Ethics and Graduation Requirement. The legal ethics graduation requirement is a pre- or co-requisite to enroll in several of the clinics. Where required, a student may fulfill this by completing an ethics class that satisfies the legal ethics graduation requirement.  Those classes include:
    • Ethics & the Law of Lawyering (LAW 238)
    • Ethics & Professional Responsibility (LAW 240)
    • Criminal Justice Ethics (LAW 317)
    • Ethics in Action (LAW 539), and,
    • Any other class identified as fulfilling the ethics & professionalism graduation requirement in a particular semester.
  3. Priority for Single Clinic Enrollment. In general, students are permitted to enroll in only one clinic per semester. A student seeking to enroll in two clinics in a semester must obtain written permission from the professor of each clinic and written approval from the Director of Clinics. Written permission and approval must be obtained prior to enrolling in the clinics on Duke Hub or the student will be removed from the class roll of both clinics. The written permission and approval must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Absent unusual circumstances, written approval for enrollment in multiple clinics will not be permitted, or will be rescinded, if either or both of the clinics in which the student wishes to enroll have or are expected to have wait lists.
  4. Advanced Clinical Studies. Students interested in extending their work in a clinic beyond one semester may enroll in the clinic for an additional semester through the law school’s advanced clinical course opportunities. To enroll in an advanced clinic, the student must obtain written permission from the appropriate clinic director prior to enrolling in the advanced clinic. The clinic director's written permission must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, and the Registrar will subsequently register the student for the advanced clinic. Most advanced clinic enrollments will be approved for a 1-2 credits in a given semester; there is a global limit of four advanced clinic credits. Requests for permission will be reviewed on a case by case basis at the discretion of the clinic professor, subject to caseloads and clients needs.
  5. LLM Eligibility for Clinics. In certain limited circumstances, LLM students may be eligible to enroll in a clinic. To enroll in a clinic, the LLM student must obtain written permission from the appropriate clinic professor prior to enrolling in the clinic. The written permission must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, and the Registrar will subsequently register the LLM student for the clinic. Requests for permission will be reviewed on a case by case basis and will be granted at the discretion of the clinic professor.