Lawyering Skills Center

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Clinics, Externships, & Simulation Courses

The Lawyering Skills Center was established in 1991 to bring under one heading all of the New York Law School clinical and skills courses: clinics where students represent or work with actual clients under the direct supervision of full-time faculty or attorneys; externships where students are placed in the offices of practicing attorneys or in judicial chambers; and simulation courses where students interact with actors or others in a variety of lawyering situations. Since 1991, all of these forms of experiential learning have increased significantly and are now an integral part of the NYLS curriculum.

Beginning with the first-year required course called Legal Practice, every student is given the opportunity to apply her or his legal reasoning and analysis skills in the context  of a simulated interview of a client, then in an interview of a witness and finally in a session in which they counsel a client. They also engage in legal research and writing with extensive, close supervision by their professors. This course is a groundbreaking and innovative way to introduce students to the tasks that lawyers are asked to perform. Building on the Legal Practice course, the Lawyering Skills Center offers advanced simulation courses, an extensive Externship Program, and a rich array of clinics.


Clinics

Under the direct supervision of full-time faculty (often working closely with practicing lawyers) upperclass students prepare through extensive simulated practice sessions before meeting clients, interviewing witnesses or appearing in court. Students may work on real cases in the clinics. For a list of the clinics and their course descriptions, please see the list on the right-hand navigation bar.


Externships

In the spirit of our "Learn law. Take action." motto, NYLS upper-class students may participate in one of our Externship Programs. Student externs earn academic credits while they gain practical experience, exposure to practice, and build skills in a supportive real world setting.

Judicial Externships
Students earn academic credit while working with state and federal judges and federal magistrates in New York City and surrounding jurisdictions.

Law Office Externships
Students earn academic credit while working with attorneys in corporations, law firms, government offices, and public interest organizations.


Simulation Courses

Second and third-year students may take Negotiating, Counseling, and Interviewing (NCI); Trial Advocacy; Advocacy of Criminal Cases; and Alternative Dispute Resolution. In these upperclass courses, the students have the  opportunity to perform extensive simulated exercises (often recorded) and receive direct professorial feedback.



 

Newsletters

Jan 2012, NYLS Take Action

     > Newsletters Archive

Lawyer Skills Events

Meet Our Clinicians

Frequently Asked Questions

CONTACT INFORMATION

Lawyering Skills Center
185 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013-2960

Susan D'Ambra
Associate Director of the Lawyering Skills Center
T: 212.431.2388
F: 212.966.2053
E: susan.dambra@nyls.edu
Office: S920, 40 Worth Street


Antonella Milevski 
Associate Director of Legal Practice
T: 212.431.2186
F: 212.966.2053
E: antonella.milevski@nyls.edu
Office: S922, 40 Worth Street


Lauren Porretta
Administrative Assistant
T: 212.431.2179
F: 212.966.2053
E: lauren.porretta@nyls.edu
Office: 9th Floor Reception, 40 Worth Street


Daryl-Marie Brice
Faculty Assistant
T: 212.431.2312
F: 212.966.2053
E: darylmarie.brice@nyls.edu
Office: S936, 40 Worth Street

Clinics
Michelle T. Weller
Administrator of Clinics
T: 212.431.2313
F: 212.966.2053
E: michelle.weller@nyls.edu
Office: S939, 40 Worth Street


Simulation Courses
Shardé Goodloe
Administrator of Simulation Courses
T: 212.431.2181
F: 212.966.2053
E: sharde.goodloe@nyls.edu
Office: 9th Floor Reception, 40 Worth Street

Contact Information for the Externship Program:

The Office of Professional Development
5th Floor of the E Building

Mariana Hogan
Associate Dean for Professional Development and Professor of Law
T: 212-431-2347
E: Mariana.Hogan@nyls.edu

The Judicial Externship Program
Cynthia Weissman
Associate Director
T: 212-431-2377
E: cynthia.weissman@nyls.edu

Wanda James
Coordinator for Career Planning and Public Interest Programming
T: 212-431-2192
E: wanda.james@nyls.edu

The Law Office Externship Program 
Moreen Mitchell
Associate Director
T: 212-431-2884
E: moreen.mitchell@nyls.edu

Culley Johnson
Assistant to the Associate Dean for Professional Development
T: 212-431-2347
E: culley.johnson@nyls.edu