Every semester, second and third year students at Notre Dame Law School have the opportunity to work in the Community Development Clinic, one of the Law School’s seven clinics.
As part of the Law School’s emphasis on Experiential Learning, the Community Development Clinic provides students with hands-on experience in transactional law. The students represent clients seeking legal services for business formation, applying for tax-exempt status, and drafting governance documents, among other needs. The clinic’s clients range from Notre Dame student start-up businesses through the Idea Center, the hub of innovation for aspiring student entrepreneurs at Notre Dame, to local non-profit groups to international organizations.
Due to Indiana law allowing law students to practice under the supervision of licensed attorneys, students in the clinic are considered legal interns and directly represent their clients. The interns regularly meet with their clients throughout the semester and submit memos to Professor James Kelly, faculty director of the Community Development Clinic, after each meeting, outlining what they talked about with the client, as well as their suggested next steps and potential solutions for the legal issues at hand.
Joe Allegretti '24 J.D. took two semesters of the Community Development Clinic during his time at the Law School and shared how his experiences will apply to his future career: “As an incoming corporate associate at Winston & Strawn, I wanted to find a way to build my communications skills with clients as it relates to legal concepts. Over two semesters, the Community Development Clinic has given me excellent opportunities to communicate with clients and interact with them during in-person meetings. Throughout my time as a legal intern, I have not only improved my client communication skills but also my ability to research and discuss complex legal issues with my clients, which will benefit me as a new associate practicing corporate law.”
Kelly started the Community Development Clinic in 2011, and is highly involved with students’ work as the Clinic’s director. He meets with students weekly to assess students’ progress with their clients’ legal issues and reviews all agendas, drafted documents, and emails before client interaction. Kelly’s expertise in real estate, community land trusts, and land use planning makes his oversight and mentorship as supervising attorney valuable to the Community Development Clinic’s work.
Student interns also attend a weekly seminar taught by Kelly as part of the five-credit experience. The seminar allows students to dive deeper into applicable topics like cross-cultural lawyering, effective counseling for clients, and other technical aspects of transactional work.
During the Spring 2024 semester, recent graduates Joe Krisko '24 J.D. and Amanda Kelly '24 J.D. presented a workshop on entity formation to undergraduate Mendoza College of Business students in a capstone course on New Venture Creation. Joe and Amanda spoke about their experiences in the clinic and touched on different applicable skills and topics they learned about in the clinic.
"Working with the Community Development Clinic has been an incredible educational experience. It has been rewarding to serve the legal needs of the community, from small startups to established corporations. The CDC is also unique in its focus on transactional law, and I have appreciated the opportunity to learn about this area of law in preparation for my future career,” said Amanda Kelly.
Clinic student interns must also record 210 billable hours during the semester, ensuring that not only does their client receive appropriate legal care, but that the student is fully immersed in transactional law and honing their lawyering skills.
Jakim Aaron '24 J.D. said of his experience in the Community Development Clinic, “You see the entire life cycle of a transaction. You see the entire transaction of things like nonprofit filings, of incorporations. Having the experience to do that shaped my perspective on what transactional practice looks like and I believe that with that experience, I can aggregate that in a larger sense once I graduate and begin my own practice.”
The Community Development Clinic offers a win-win scenario for students wanting tangible work in the field of transactional law and organizations seeking legal assistance to make changes in their communities. Student interns represent local entrepreneurs meeting real consumer needs, community land trusts promoting affordable housing in their neighborhoods, and nonprofit organizations seeking IRS recognition of 501(c)(3) status.
“People who want to start a new business or nonprofit which could truly help their community should not be discouraged from doing so because of all the legal hoops they would have to jump through,” said third-year student Joe Krisko. “Part of being a different kind of lawyer is understanding how the legal system can create these barriers and how we can use the skills we learn in the classroom not only for personal gain, but also to better our community.”
As a Catholic mission-based institution, Notre Dame Law School is grounded in both professional lawyering development and pursuing service for the common good. The Community Development Clinic not only supports student interns and clients alike, but further builds a relationship between Notre Dame Law students and the community in which they live.
Originally published by at law.nd.edu on July 25, 2024.