Harvard Law School Clinics provide students hands-on legal experience under the supervision of licensed attorneys who are trained in educating and mentoring students. Clinics are open to 2L, 3L, and LL.M. students. Each clinic is tied to a classroom component: students receive clinical credit for their legal practice in clinics and academic credit for the related course component.
Most clinics require students to enroll for a minimum of 5 credits (including the course component credits). Students are generally required to work a minimum of 12 hours each week in addition to the hours required for preparation and participation in the related course!
In addition to reviewing the pages on our website, please consult the 2023-2024 Information for Incoming LL.M. Students to determine which clinics you are eligible to participate in. Eligibility is dependent on your student visa status.
Registering for Clinics
Most of our in-house clinics will be available to preference during Phase 2 registration. Please review the Graduate Program’s website on the Course Selection Process for more information about the overall process.
There are a handful of clinics that are not included in Helios selection, and instead require students to submit an application. A list of these clinics can be found here.
Most clinics allow students to register for a range of clinical credits. More information about clinical credits can be found here.
Clinics have earlier drop deadlines than non-clinical courses. Students may drop a clinic without penalty any time before the drop deadline.
More information about the registration and course selection process can be found on the Graduate Program’s website: https://hls.harvard.edu/course-selection-and-other-essential-information/choosing-your-courses/course-selection-general-information/
General Clinic Add/Drop Deadlines:
- Fall 2024: August 23, 2024 (Please note that some clinics have even earlier drop deadlines)
- Winter 2025: November 18, 2024 (Please note that some clinics have even earlier drop deadlines)
- Spring 2025: December 13, 2025 (Please note that some clinics have even earlier drop deadlines)
Tools and Resources
In this section, you’ll find many resources to help you learn about clinics. You can also watch Q&As with clinic directors on each individual clinic’s page.
- LL.M. In-House Clinics Skills Matrix
- Helios Evaluations for Clinics and Student Practice Organizations (located in the “Org Search” section of Helios)
- Clinic Stories Blog
- 2023-2024 Information for Incoming LL.M. Students
Student Practice Organizations
After you begin your program in August, you can also participate in other not-for-credit pro bono opportunities, outside of the clinical program, including opportunities on-campus with Student Practice Organizations and pro bono placements with outside community organizations, in which you can assist with the provision of free legal services to those in need. You do not need to register for these opportunities because they are not offered for academic credit. If you are interested in not-for-credit pro bono work, look out for announcements this fall about the full range of pro bono opportunities.
Students engage in these opportunities because they would like to serve the community and are interested in gaining practical experience. Students who are also seeking pro bono opportunities to fulfill the New York State Bar pro bono requirement, as set out in Rule 520.16, should note that some – but not necessarily all – of the work done by the SPOs may qualify for the requirement. LL.M.s should review the NY Pro Bono Requirement carefully to determine if the specific pro bono work that they are engaged in with an SPO meets the requirements of Rule 520.16.
Questions?
For questions about clinical registration, please contact Maggie Bay.
For questions about the New York Pro Bono Requirement as well as general questions about the clinical program, please contact Sheryl Dickey.