Setting up a live client clinic: a checklist

In working through this checklist you are advised also to consult the CLEO Model Standards.

Educational goals and outcomes

1. What are the goals of the proposed clinic?
2. Where does it fit into and contribute to the curriculum?
3. What are the intended learning outcomes derived from those goals?
4. What type of clinic will best meet those goals and outcomes:
   • live client or simulation?
   • in-house or externship?
5. On what types of cases should the clinic work to fulfil those goals and outcomes?
6. Which, if any, of those goals or outcomes may need to revised or scaled down because of resource constraints?

Staffing

7. What is your intended staff:student ratio?
8. How many teaching staff do you need (based on what assumption in respect of student numbers and contact hours)?
9. What experience or qualifications should each teacher have (distinguish between faculty and field supervisors if appropriate)?
10. What training should clinical teaching staff have:
    • completed before supervising students?
    • as on-going staff development?
11. What support staff do you need:
    • administrative?
    • secretarial?
    • technical?
12. What experience should each member of your support staff have?
13. What training are clinical support staff likely to:
    • require before the clinic accepts clients?
    • need as on-going staff development?

Resources

14. What is the intended duration of the clinic? (in ‘teaching’ weeks)?
15. How will the clinic manage the academic vacation breaks?
16. Have you identified (a) physical location(s) for the clinic?
17. Is the location reasonably accessible to students and clients with a disability?
18. Are there any safety or security issues that need to be addressed at that location?
19. How much dedicated office space (if any) does the clinic require (seats/hours/weeks):
    • for clients’ access to the clinic (consider also accessibility issues here)
    • for student-centred or student-directed clinical activities
    • for supervision by clinical teaching staff
    • for dedicated support staff
20. How much dedicated teaching space (if any) does the clinic require (seats/hours/weeks):
    • for face-to-face teaching
    • for student group work
21. What other physical resources does the clinic require:
    • furniture
    • document storage
    • computers and peripherals
    • telephone, fax and copying facilities
    • stationery and legal forms
    • other consumables
22. What additional library resources does the clinic require?
    • consider also whether these should be located in the main law library or as a separate facility in the clinic suite (and security issues, if any)
23. What indemnity cover have you arranged?

Case management

24. Create systems for recording all stages of a case, for example:
    • intake appointments system and day book
    • secure client filing system
    • attendance notes, telephone messages, record of interview, court/tribunal attendance and representation
    • diaries (client appointments, court/tribunal appointments, limitation)
    • client database and conflicts checker
25. Create an office manual for the clinic detailing office procedures, professional standards and matters of ‘house style’.
26. Establish office account or arrange institutional facility for dealing with case related expenses, for example travel costs, court and expert fees (if any).
27. Determine what documents are to be available as standard (for example, client care letters, terms and conditions of retainer etc) and which are to be drafted case-by-case by students.
28. Determine a workable system for referrals to other agencies, as appropriate.

Preparing student activity

29. Devise induction and orientation programme and any on-going training to be run by clinic staff.
30. Consider devising a learning contract to be agreed between student and supervisor (may be particularly valuable on externship programmes).
31. Draft assessment tasks and criteria.
32. Devise record and evaluation forms for recording outcomes of clinical supervision.
33. Consider whether you intend to use a virtual learning environment as part of the programme. If so, for what purpose(s)?

Last Modified: 4 June 2010