Civil Justice Clinic
Clinic News
Clinic Students Celebrate Client’s Freedom - In April 2007, Clinic student Olivia Bradbury, JD '07, successfully argued a habeas petition before the Missouri Supreme Court. The oral arguments were the final step in a long process in which the clinic had obtained a commutation for Lute, but then had to fight for her parole.
- Clinic students Sarah Wilhite, 'JD '07, left, and
Olivia Bradbury, JD '07, celebrate with their client
Shirley Lute, who was released from prison.
The oldest female inmate in Missouri, Lute had been incarcerated for 29 years for her role in the murder of her abusive husband.
In addition to Bradbury and Wilhite, other students and faculty in the Civil Justice Clinic and the Missouri Battered Women’s Clemency Coalition worked on the case for more than seven years.
Welcome to the Civil Justice Clinic
of the Washington University School of Law
The Civil Justice Clinic is one of nine clinical courses available to law students at Washington University School of Law. Students have the opportunity to participate in at least one of the clinical education programs. Some of the Clinic's recent work is highlighted in our latest newsletter (PDF Format).
This web site is designed to provide information regarding the Civil Justice Clinic for prospective students as well as act as a resource and to provide reference materials for participating students.
Students participating in the clinic should click here for clinic reference materials. These pages are intended to offer guidance to students in the Clinic but also individuals and organizations concerned about family violence. The Washington University Civil Justice Clinic has been in existence for twenty-five years. In the past, the Clinic operated out of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. In the Fall of 1999, the Clinic began operating out of Washington University School of Law in room 101 on the first floor of Anheuser-Busch Hall.
Students enrolled in the clinic receive six credits for their work and are expected to spend twenty-four or more hours per week doing Clinic work. Currently, the Clinic is offered both Fall and Spring semesters. Each semester the Clinic is open to eight students certified to practice law under the Missouri student practice rule and supervised by one full-time faculty member (dedicating one half of her teaching load to the clinic) and full time clinical attorney. Each student is responsible for eight to ten cases during the semester as well as a community service project. Throughout the years, clinic students have handled cases covering a number of areas including housing, consumer, public benefits, and domestic relations. In the past two years, the clinic has primarily focused on family law cases, with a particular emphasis on adult and child abuse. Cases are taken by referral only from Legal Services, Legal Advocates for Abused Women, Project Hope and the Courts.
Continue to explore the rest of our site to see what Civil Justice Clinic has to offer.
Do you want to know more about the Civil Justice Clinic? Send an e-mail to Katherine Goldwasser at goldwask@wulaw.wustl.edu or visit the Registrar's office in Room 303 of Anheuser-Busch Hall.
