Practical Experience
Law Student Reaps Personal, Professional Rewards as CASA Volunteer
I am a CASA volunteer. CASA stands for court-appointed special advocate, and my responsibility is to advocate for a child in a child-in-need-of-care (CINC) case. This entails listening and understanding my child’s needs and wishes. I speak with everyone involved in my child’s life — from family to…
Advocating for Individual Rights through Media Law: Jessica Frederick, L’16
A self-described advocate, Jessica Frederick pursued law with the intent to help others. She found her niche with the Media Law Clinic and its focus on First Amendment and individual rights.Jessica Frederick, L'16Frederick was drawn to the clinic by Professor Mike Kautsch and his open, student-…
Saving Key Programs at the Department of Labor
This summer, I have been working as an assistant investigator for the Employee Benefits Security Administration in the Department of Labor's Kansas City office. My duties are to audit private employer health insurance and pension plans in order to ensure compliance with the Employee Retirement…
Understanding the Federal Justice System
I finished my first year of law school pretty unsure of what type of legal career I was interested in. I thought KU’s Judicial Clinic would fit well with my 1L skill set and provide exposure to a variety of legal careers. I accepted a federal clerkship in Wichita with Chief Judge J. Thomas Marten…
Building Confidence Through the Criminal Prosecution Clinic
As an aspiring prosecutor, the Criminal Prosecution Clinic was one of the factors that drew T.C. Penland to KU Law.Thomas Penland, L'15“I knew about the clinic through the admissions process,” Penland said. “That was one of the things that pushed me toward KU. I went in with full expectation of…
Mock Trial Introduces Undergrads to Courtroom Careers
Law school may be a few years away, but some KU undergrads are building their oral advocacy skills and gaining courtroom experience before they even finish their bachelor’s degrees. The KU Mock Trial team competes in simulated courtroom trials, pitting their analysis and advocacy skills against…
My Summer Internship: Learning Military Justice in the JAG Corps
Kip Randall (fifth from left), a rising 2L, spent his summer working for the U.S. Army Trial Defense Service at Fort Leavenworth.This summer I was given the incredible opportunity to work as an extern with the U.S. Army Trial Defense Service (TDS) at Fort Leavenworth. Because of my Army background…
My Summer Internship: Advancing LGBT Rights on the Front Lines
I have spent three months of my 2015 summer working on Wall Street overlooking the East River in Manhattan. Before I took the flight out of KCI, I had to say that the entire idea was incredibly daunting. I had been to New York City before and found that it was not exactly my taste, but this was for…
Speaking and Listening with Bill Walberg & Kasper Schirer
Before he enrolled in the Legal Aid Clinic, Bill Walberg described his communication skills as “lacking.” “I had a terrible fear of public speaking,” he said. “My first oral argument I panicked and could barely get my argument out. I wanted experience in an uncontrolled setting like the courtroom…
3L Gains Experience, Confidence in Tribal Judicial Support Clinic
Third-year law student Zach Boggan developed an interest in Indian law when he took a course on the subject and participated in the Native American Law Students Association moot court program. “It can be hard to find a firm practicing Indian law in a meaningful way,” Boggan said. “That’s what…