Our mission is to ensure justice
for Washington’s low-income community
through free, high-quality legal
assistance while training third-year law
students in lawyering and courtroom
advocacy skills.
Each year students from the 5
participating schools, (American,
Catholic, George Washington, Georgetown,
and Howard universities) provide
critical legal assistance and
representation to over 6,000 low-income
individuals and families from the DC metro
area. LSIC works to fight the consequences
of poverty, to prevent homelessness and to
alleviate inequalities in the justice
system. Since 1968, LSIC has handled more
than 10,000 cases, winning more than it
has lost; assisted more than 250,000
low-income people; and trained more
than 2,500 law students who have not only
gone to distinguished legal careers, but
who have also excelled in their pro
bonocommitment to help the underserved in
their communities.
Most of LSIC's civil litigation cases
involve representing tenants in the
Landlord and Tenant Branch and
plaintiffs or defendants in the Small
Claims Branch of the D.C. Superior
Court. Landlord and tenant/housing cases
are complex, with many intricate twists
and turns. Issues involve mainly
property and contract law, but can
intersect with receiverships, torts,
administrative law, guardianship and
probate and bankruptcy. For many
tenants, LSIC students are often the
only source of legal information and
assistance. Representation in small
claims cases usually involves consumer
issues. LSIC also handles a small number
of regular Civil Division cases.
The program emphasizes "real world"
litigation practice. LSIC offers a
learning environment in which students
benefit from a one-on-one working
relationship with a supervisor who is an
experienced trial attorney. Supervision
and the clinic seminar classes are
geared toward litigation and the skills
necessary for effective lawyering. Both
the class and supervision components of
the program are also designed to promote
reflection on what the role of the
lawyer can and should be.
LSIC is a two-semester clinic in which
students are responsible for all aspects
of their cases, including initial
interviews, investigation, research,
preparation of pleadings, motion
practice, and trial preparation.
Students gain a basic working knowledge
of substantive law, court rules and
procedures, as well as important
advocacy skills
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GuideStar!
"One of
the best small charities
in the Greater
Washington region.”
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