Spring 2024
Professor(s):
Fred Krasny (ADJUNCT)
Ryan Marquez (CLINICAL FACULTY [405(b)])
Credits: 4
Course Areas: Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships
Time: 4:00p-6:00p T Location: 213
Course Outline: This course is a practical course involving representing actual clients with their legal issues. You will be working on cases filed in Justice, County, and District courts. Most of your cases will primarily relate to landlord and tenant law, real estate issues, deceptive trade practices, debt collection, bankruptcy, negotiation strategies, simple wills and probate matter, guardianship, real property disputes, and family and domestic relations cases. Other cases of interest will be taken occasionally as well. After completing this course, students will have the necessary legal and practical knowledge to represent clients effectively upon starting to practice law mostly as a first-year associate in a small firm.
In this course, you will be responsible for cases as the primary attorney. Some of the course is for the students to determine what actions they would take as an advocate.
Regular participation in the clinic is required. You must work 50 hours per course credit hour for a total of 200 hours. There is a weekly staff meeting class that last approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours. In the event that our class needs to be rescheduled, I will give you advance warning by email. This will not happen often, but may happen from time to time. All postponed/cancelled classes will be rescheduled.
This is a clinical University of Houston Law Center course. Accordingly, Law Center policy requires the applicable curved scale. Work performance, attendance, and participation, including turning in all assignments, will count toward your final grade.
Course Syllabus: Syllabus
Course Notes: (Face-to-Face) I am available to discuss your cases any time I am here at UHLC. My office is 343G and my phone number is (713) 743 -2169 (UHLC). If you do not find me in my office, you should feel free to call me at any time or email me regarding questions. My cell phone will be available for you to contact me at any time as well. You may call me at any time if you have a problem that cannot wait until regular school hours.
Attendance
Regular course attendance is expected. The Law Center expects students to attend at least 80% of the scheduled classes.
Assessment
The final grade for the course is determined by assessing your work in the following areas as you represent your assigned clients and participate portion the course:
• Professionalism
• Lawyering Skills
• Classroom participation and assignments
The best equivalent to be to consider how you would be evaluated for a job.
Learning Outcomes
• Development of interviewing and counseling skills
• Development of fact investigation, trial, and public speaking skills
• Improvement in legal research and writing skills
• Introduction to the substantive areas of
the law
• Enhanced knowledge in law practice management
• Recognition of cultural competence in the field
Grading
This is an ordinary University of Houston Law Center course. Accordingly, Law Center policy requires the final grade average for the course be 3.20 – 3.40 on a 4.0 scale or whatever scale in effect at the time or enrollment. Your grade will also be based on class participation. I will call on students each day to discuss the assigned material if any or your cases.
Prerequisites: Yes Good academic standing and eligible for Texas Supervised Practice Card.
First Day Assignments:
Final Exam Schedule:
This course will have:
Exam:
Paper:
Satisfies Senior Upper Level Writing Requirement: No
Experiential Course Type: clinic
Bar Course: No
DistanceEd ABA: No
Pass-Fail Student Election: Unavailable (Instructor Preference)
Course Materials
No book required for this course
