Drake Law School - Neal and Bea Smith Center

About the Clinic
Recent Cases
Facilities

Clinic Curriculum
Clinic Faculty
Newsletters

About the Clinic

Drake Law School’s clinical programs allow students to build valuable professional experience by applying classroom knowledge to work-world situations. Working with real clients with real legal problems, students apply classroom theory to actual cases; sort through and analyze complex information; develop interviewing and other interpersonal communication skills; research possible solutions; develop advocacy strategies; negotiate and mediate; and act in the best interests of their clients. Working in a teaching law firm, students discover the benefits of assisting those who might not otherwise have access to legal assistance while becoming competent and self-confident professionals. Effective participation in a clinical program demonstrates to prospective employers that a student has capably handled a variety of cases and will “hit the ground running” when it comes to practicing law.

In fall 2001, the clinic added the Joan, and Lyle Middleton Center for Children’s Rights to its operations. In addition to a $1 million gift from Joan and Lyle Middleton, the Center receives funding from the Court Improvement Project. Law students in the Center’s clinical program represent children and handle abuse, neglect and termination of parental rights cases under faculty supervision. The Center also includes a resource center and a training center that educates lawyers, judges, social workers and others in various aspects of children’s rights law.

Law students who have successfully completed the equivalent of three semesters of law school may apply for an Iowa student practice license. Once admitted under the state’s student practice rule, participants in clinic programs are permitted, under faculty supervision, to appear as counsel on civil and misdemeanor criminal matters, and to represent clients in matters before the Iowa Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court of Iowa.

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Recent Clinic Cases

U.S. Supreme Court sets aside murder conviction
A student in the advanced criminal defense clinic wrote a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in which he successfully argued that admission of videotaped testimony of a prosecution witness may have violated the defendant's right to confront witnesses against him. As a result, the Court set aside a murder conviction and sent the case to the Iowa Supreme Court for further review.

Should Veterans Home residents need permission for outside relationships with employees?
The clinic represents residents of the Iowa Veterans Home in a First Amendment/freedom of association case. Employees of the home are required to request permission if they want to have any kind of relationship with a resident outside their professional relationship. If the employee requests permission, the resident must go before a committee that determines if the request should be granted. Residents include mentally competent adults who are physically disabled and permanent residents of the home.

Students partner with AG's Office to help elderly fight home repair and used auto scams
The Elder Law Clinic is working in partnership with the Consumer Protection Division of the Iowa Attorney General's Office on a project to assist elderly victims of home repair and used auto scams.

AIDS project claims Iowa violated grant guidelines
The clinic represents the AIDS Project of Central Iowa in its claim against the State Department of Public Health for misallocation of Ryan White Care Act Funds. The AIDS Project, a not-for-profit organization, claims that the Department of Public Health violated the Ryan White Care Act by improperly awarding Care Act funds to a for-profit organization when a qualified not-for-profit organization was available.

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Facilities

The Neal and Bea Smith Law Center, a 40,000-square-foot, fully computerized facility, houses the law school’s clinical programs and the Center for Public Service Attorneys. Noted for its stunning architecture, the building includes classrooms, conference rooms, offices, a library, courtroom and atrium.

The Legal Clinic courtroom, used within our teaching law firm for a variety of educational purposes, is also available for Iowa district court hearings, which are typically open for student observation. Engineered for the electronic presentation of trials, the courtroom has videotaping and playback capabilities, as well as broadcast options for multiple screens. An outlet is available at every seat to accommodate the use of laptop computers. An ELMO Visual Presenter is available for document broadcasting within the courtroom, which also allows for private projection to be fed directly to the judge or counsel’s computer.

The Drake Legal Clinic is supported by a $4.5 million federally funded endowment that ensures continued service to students and the community.

The Neal and Bea Smith Law Center is located at 24th Street and University Avenue.
The clinic phone number is 271-3851.

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