Civil Practice Clinic: Employment and Housing Law
- Associate Clinical Professor, Civil Practice Clinic: Zachary Mountin
- Course Numbers and Descriptions: First Term / Second Term
Mission
The Civil Practice Clinic at Colorado Law is among the institution's oldest clinics. Students here develop their civil practice skills while advocating for economic justice in diverse civil litigation and alternative dispute resolution contexts, including administrative complaints, judicial and administrative tribunals, negotiation, and mediation.
Clients
Students represent low-income or underrepresented workers fighting for their justly earned wages and tenants in disputes with their landlords. Both groups face structural disadvantages. The opposing parties have greater resources, familiarity with the legal system, and access to representation. And the impact of these cases can have far-reaching implications: when someone loses their job or housing or is denied rightful compensation, the ensuing ripple effects can wreak havoc on that person’s life.
The Civil Practice Clinic receives client referrals from a variety of non-profit legal organizations. If you have a dispute with your employer and are seeking representation, please contact Towards Justice for a free referral to their network of employment attorneys. For landlord-tenant disputes, please contact the Community Economic Defense Project or Colorado Legal Services. Please note that representation from these partner organizations is not guaranteed.
Scope
The Civil Practice Clinic is a year-long, 8-credit course, which allows students to see many of their cases from start to finish. Clinic students act as the lead attorneys on their cases, and work with their clients from intake to its conclusion. Initially, students meet and interview their clients, gather information and documents, and research the applicable laws to develop a case plan. They then typically prepare demand letters and engage in pre-litigation negotiations to achieve their client’s goals. If those attempts are unsuccessful, they will draft court filings or administrative complaints and appear at hearings and trials. They may appear in state court or in administrative agency proceedings. In both contexts, students may present opening statements and closing arguments and examine witnesses. The CPC helps students to develop good client relationships while developing competency in Colorado wage-and-hour law, landlord-tenant law, and civil procedure.
