In the Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic you will work in two-person case teams to represent individual clients living with HIV in both litigation and non-litigation matters. Cases are referred to us from a partner HIV medical clinic on campus and can involve a wide range of issues including SSI/ Social Security disability benefits, custody, employment discrimination, advance care planning and medical decision-making (preparing medical advance directives, simple wills, and powers of attorney), legal name change for transgender clients, and housing and eviction. You will also have the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary work with students and providers in the fields of social work and healthcare.
Through your casework, seminar, case team supervision meetings with faculty, and interdisciplinary case conferences, you will experience first-hand and reflect on how a person’s environment impacts their physical and mental health, and explore the role that lawyers can play in advancing health outcomes for vulnerable clients. You will develop interviewing, counseling, negotiation, written and oral advocacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills, as well as identify and address professional responsibility and professional identity issues. Working with these clients will teach you about the influence of trauma on individuals and families and help you learn how to practice trauma-informed and client-centered lawyering.