Prosecution Law Clinic

 

The Prosecution Law Clinic provides real life lawyering experience in the criminal prosecution system at the state trial level. Students’ primary experience will be to serve as Rule 13 certified attorneys with Circuit Attorney’s Office in the City of St. Louis. Students in the clinic have the opportunity to handle, or assist experienced prosecutors in handling, the prosecution of state-level crimes in the City of St. Louis while also gaining exposure to the legal and ethical problems that litigators, and prosecutors specifically, face in practice.

The Clinic is based in the Circuit Attorney’s Office (in the Carnahan Courthouse in downtown St. Louis) and is codirected by Rob Huq, Chief Misdemeanor Officer, Chris Hinckley, Chief Warrant Officer, and Chris Desilets. Students in the Prosecution Clinic will work on cases with other prosecutors in the Circuit Attorney’s Office, as assigned by the Clinic’s co-directors.

Typical Student Activities

Students in the clinic will use and develop the following lawyering skills:

• Problem-solving
• Legal analysis and reasoning
• Legal research
• Factual investigation
• Witness
• Interviewing and preparation
• Oral and written communication
• Litigation
• Organization and management of legal work
• Recognizing and resolving ethical dilemmas and the prosecutor’s special responsibilities.

Clinic students will be a part of case reviews and meetings with victims, lay and professional witnesses. Some of these meetings may involve sensitive or emotionally difficult subject matter.

Students who are in the Courthouse at the beginning of the work week will have the greatest opportunity for courtroom and jury trial experiences.