University of Michigan Law School - Quad Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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Clerks, FIRST ROW: R. McSweeny, S. Katzen, P. Truebner, K. Felt, C. Todd. SECOND ROW: T. Allen, M. Coffield, R. Sanow, 1. Feinkens, J. Briggs. Not in Picture: H. Groves, T. O'Conner, I. Cohen, N. Gingell, I. Stout, J. Ballway, R. Leukart, M. Davis, C. Thorton, I. Strauss. lx! y Campbell Round Q , f INF' 1 ,mum . :K . I X 1 . , iii .x f A . 5 X 'if 4, .Q ,-v Q a J a. ,, xv. Tom Ledbetter, Campbell chairman C 39

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THE CASE CLUBS A freshman's first introduction to the courtroom most likely occurs when he prepares and argues his case before a case club court. Freshman participation in Case Clubs is voluntary, but since it offers valuable experience in legal research, legal writing, and oral advocacy almost every freshman participates. This year, for instance, about 90 per cent of the freshmen class joined. Each freshman is assigned to one of about 20 case clubs. Each case club is headed by a senior judge, who is assisted by ajunior clerk. The senior judge instructs the members of his case club in the techniques and skills of presenting written and oral arguments. Each case club has one or two cases which are given to the freshmen in the same way that a senior partners gives a client's case to a young associate. With the instructions and with the cases, the fresh- men then prepare legal memorandums and appellate briefs and give oral arguments before the case club courts. Each Freshman's work is graded on the quality of his perfor- mance throughout the Case Club program. The most successful are chosen at the year's end for advancement into the Junior Campbell Club Competition and into junior clerkship. V I D ., 4 .. , . L Duane Ilvedson, Presiding Judge 4 S enior Judges, l'1Kb'1' ROW: J. Frost, T. Ledbetter, D. Ilvedson, K. Harker, S. George, I. Provine, A. Galbraith. SECOND ROW: J. Schmidt S. Wa1er,J. Barn D. C d 1 R. ' ' ' - ' ' , es, roys a e, Olson, T. Rasmussen, D. Sheyitz. Not in Picture, K. Beattie, 1. Bzrge, W. Earle, R. Smith, F. Woodworth, S. Passer, J. Lasken. 38

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LEGAL AID SOCIETY FIRST ROW: E. Feldstein, R. Glotta, L. Marsh, 1. Boerner, S. Phelps, L. Berkowitz. SECOND ROW: E. Hendon, R. Mc- Sweeny, G. Newman, C. Patterson. Last spring the Michigan Supreme Court promulgated Rule 921 which provided for the establishment of Legal Aid Clinics in the state of Michigan. The ruling, one of the most liberal in all states that has thus far established such a system, permits students who have successfully completed a minimum of twenty eight hours in an accredited law school to represent indignent people. The rule authorizes student attorneys to advise indignent people, and negotiate and appear in all courts in Michigan on their behalf in certain civil and criminal matters. Since September the Clinic has been operating at 201 N. Fourth Ave. in downtown Ann Arbor under the sponsor- ship of the Washtenaw County Bar Assoc. In its first four months of operation the Clinic has disposed of over one hundred and fifty cases, many of which resulted in litigation. The general areas with which have dealt most frequently are family relations, vendor-vendee relations, landlord-tenat relations, and criminal misdimeanors. While we have not kept a won-lost record it may fairly be said that there is general community and personal satisfaction with the dis- position of our cases. The structure of the Legal Aid Society is presently in a state of change, as is true with many new organizations. The present structure consists of a nine member Executive Board composed of senior law students who supervise the operation of the Clinic. An eight member Board of Trustees is composed of six members selected by the county Bar Association, one member by the community to be served fpoverty communityl, and one faculty member Professor James White. The Board of Trustees determines the standards of indigency, the types of cases students may handle both with and without the direct supervision of a practicing attorney, and proceedural rules of the clinic. There also exists an advisory committee of nine persons, selected by the Washtenaw County Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity, whose function is to advise the Board of Trustees of the needs and special problems of the community to be served. The future of Legal Aid looks bright. Negotiations are under way to adjust the composition of the Board of Trustees to more adequately accommodate the needs of the poor. With the receipt of federal aid the Clinic intends to acquire the services of a full time attorney and make permanent the physical facilities of the clinic. There has been agrowing awareness of the services provided by the clinic not only among the poverty community which we serve but with the community as a whole with whom we closely cooperate. The quality of legal services rendered by our student attorneys has been note worthy. On many occasions clients with small cases have been better served by a student whose high degree of preparedness ,and imaginative de- fenses has not been discouraged by a heavy case load and the promise of small remuneration. The benefits your Legal Aid program have not entirely occurred to the poor, for the experience to the student attorneys will prove invaluable. 'x George Newman, Chairman Prof. White, Faculty Advisor 40