LAWS 8856 MA Attorney General Civil Litigation Program

The Mass. Attorney General's Civil Litigation Clinical Program provides an intensive full-year clinical experience in civil litigation in the Government Bureau of the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General (AGO). Students practice under the supervision of one of two faculty members who are assistant attorneys general in that Bureau. Students work directly with Bureau attorneys in representing state agencies and officials in state and federal courts. The clinic teaches litigation skills and strategy and includes the following types of legal work: (1) drafting pleadings, motions, discovery requests and responses, and other litigation documents; (2) legal research and brief writing in the trial and appellate courts; (3) possible oral argument in state courts; and (4) other litigation tasks including taking and defending depositions. Students will be expected to do a significant amount of legal writing. Pursuant to Rule 3:03 of the Supreme Judicial Court, students may argue orally in Superior Court on behalf of state agencies. Students should plan to be eligible for certification under Rule 3:03 at the beginning of the fall semester. Students will be assigned to one of two Divisions in the Government Bureau, either the Constitutional & Administrative Law Division or the Trial Division. The co-directors will make best efforts to assign each student to the division of their preference, subject to space in the divisions. Students assigned to the Constitutional & Administrative Law Division will work on a variety of court cases involving administrative and constitutional law, federal courts, and statutory construction. Students assigned to the Trial Division will work on a variety of cases involving employment, tort, contracts, eminent domain, and land use law. Students receive written and oral comments on their memoranda and written evaluations of their performance. The clinical program includes a weekly two-hour seminar on litigation skills, substantive law topics, and the discussion of student work. Some of the seminars will be conducted jointly with the students assigned to both divisions; other seminars will be specific to each division. Topics include state and federal jurisdiction, the substantive law practiced in each division, drafting litigation documents, motion practice, discovery and depositions, trial preparation, appellate practice, and the role of state attorneys general. The program will select up to 8 third-year students. Each selection is subject to (1) a background check conducted by the AGO and (2) the AGO Intern/Clinical Student Conflict of Interest Statement, which is available in the application materials distributed by BC Law. Students must commit 22 hours per week (including the two-hour seminar but excluding commuting time) to the program. A typical schedule will involve two days at the AGO at One Ashburton Place in Boston and one day (or half-day) remote; students are free to select their usual hours (other than the seminar time at the AGO). The Attorney Generals Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As the representative of the Commonwealth and its residents, the Attorney Generals Office strives to ensure that those working in our office reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. The Office encourages applicants from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to apply for positions.