Appellate Litigation Clinic

The Appellate Litigation Clinic is a one-semester clinic where students represent individuals and organizational clients (including nonprofits, advocacy groups, and government agencies) in civil appeals that proceed through New York’s appellate courts. Students will: draft, revise, and file appellate briefs in a range of matters in New York’s Appellate Division; gain strategic litigation judgment as to the selection and framing of issues and arguments; and develop their oral advocacy skills through moots and argument preparation. Throughout the semester, students will: participate in litigating more complicated appeals or participate in amicus briefing, including in the Second Circuit or New York’s Court of Appeals; contribute to advocacy projects around procedural or substantive reform in appellate courts; and apply their problem-solving skills to other aspects of civil litigation. Through their advocacy, clinic students will: process factual and procedural records; deepen their grasp of substantive legal doctrine; build their capacity for independent research and writing; gain skills to navigate client interactions; strengthen their research and research abilities and written advocacy; hone their strategic judgment and creative abilities; grapple with ethical issues around appellate representation; and develop a comparative understanding of different appellate systems.

Clinic students work closely with the clinic director, colleagues, and clients. The clinic incorporates a pre-semester intensive skills training, where students would be introduced to New York’s appellate courts, develop their writing and analytical abilities, and gain their first exposure to their clients and case records. During the semester, students participate in a seminar that addresses the theoretical bases for their work and the structural components of appellate litigation, as well discusses the substantive legal doctrines raised in their appeals. These sessions present opportunities for students to reflect on their ongoing projects, learn from their interactions with other students, and develop skills that support their fieldwork, including in