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Fall 2021 Clinic

Government Lawyer: Attorney General Clinic

Enrollment in this clinic will fulfill the HLS JD pro bono requirement.

Required Class Component: The Role of the State Attorney General (2 fall classroom credits). Students who enroll in this clinic will be enrolled in the required course by the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs. If a student drops the clinic, they will also lose their seat in the required course.
Additional Co-/Pre-Requisites: None.
By Permission: No.
Add/Drop Deadline: August 13, 2021.
LLM Students: International students on F-1 student visas are required to have Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization; LL.M. students are not eligible for CPT.
Placement Site: Various externship placements at the Massachusetts’s AG Office.

The State Attorney General Clinic offers students an opportunity to work with the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Clinical students’ responsibilities will include writing and research work pertinent to the division in which they are placed. Assignments will often include research and drafting memos and briefs. Students are placed in various divisions including:

  • Criminal Bureau (Appeals Division, Cybercrime Division, Enterprise and Major Crimes Division, Environmental Crimes Strike Force, Public Integrity Division)
  • Government Bureau (Trial Division)
  • Public Protection Bureau (Civil Rights Division, Health Care Division, Consumer Protection, Environmental Protection Division)

Students must enroll for a minimum of 4 clinical credits (16 hours per week) and must have at least one full day available in their schedules to spend at the Attorney General’s Office. Remaining hours may be completed as half-days (or additional full days). Most offices are open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm.

The Office of the Attorney General in Massachusetts does not allow students to participate in the Tenant Advocacy Project, Prison Legal Assistance Project or Harvard Defenders while in the AG Clinic. Other activities or employment may also not be allowed.

Please contact the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs for more information about this clinic (clinical@law.harvard.edu or 617-495-5202).