■ EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Lawyering
in D.C.
The externship is a partnership between the Law School’s experiential learning program, Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights and Levin Center. The winter semester initiative offers up to four students the opportunity to work — under the supervision of a licensed attorney — in a variety of settings depending on their area of interest. Students interested in the legislative process and congressional oversight may work on Capitol Hill in a House or Senate office. Students interested in civil rights and social justice may work with a nonprofit agency engaged in policy work.
Holistic defense — also referred to as community-oriented or comprehensive defense — is a term used to describe an innovative approach that employs an interdisciplinary team to consider both the individual and community needs when working with a person charged with a criminal offense. Unintended or collateral consequences of arrest and conviction can include loss of housing, removal of children and even deportation. The holistic defense approach brings together lawyers and social workers to achieve positive legal and social outcomes for criminal defendants.
- Detroit Justice Center
- Federal Community Defender of the Eastern District of Michigan
- Neighborhood Defender Service Detroit
- State Appellate Defender Office