Each semester Legal Services for Children hosts a Law School Practicum which consists of an externship at our office with a companion weekly seminar taught by LSC’s Executive Director, Abigail Trillin. Students receive credit for both the seminar and externship components.

Externs at LSC will work on a variety of cases including:

• Guardianships
• Expulsion Hearings
• Dependency
• Immigration (Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival cases)

Students also work on LSC’s warmline where they are exposed to a wide variety of legal issues and develop interviewing skills.  In addition to individual case work, students have the chance to work on policy projects in one or more of the areas mentioned above.

The weekly seminar will cover substantive legal topics such as:

• School Discipline
• Immigration
• Abuse & Neglect
• In addition to seminars led by LSC social workers on such topics as working with trauma-impacted youth, boundaries & termination, and cultural competency.

The seminar will also provide a weekly opportunity to reflect on case work and discuss skills development. The seminar will be held Wednesday mornings, prior to LSC’s weekly staff meeting.

Student commitment is at least 16 hours per week with a preference for 20 – 24 hours. Priority will be given to students who can work more hours, are bilingual in Spanish, and have relevant past experience.  Students will be supervised in the externship by an attorney supervisor.

During the 2015-16 school year the Practicum will be in collaboration with University of San Francisco and Golden Gate University for Fall 2015 semester and UC Hastings College for the Spring 2016 semester. Hastings students can apply through the regular Hastings Clinic application process.

Questions: Contact Abigail Trillin, Executive Director, at abigail@lsc-sf.org for more information about this program.