About the Policy Clinic
Students in the policy clinic analyze law-making authority, frame policy choices, help clients plan a strategy, and draft policy alternatives. They present their work to clients, seminars, and conferences. Students work in four teams under staff supervision.
How to apply
A March 2019 seminar met at the US Dept. of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Division
Application process
Applications are due April 12, 2020 at the online portal. We host several clinic information sessions, all on Zoom.
- Monday, March 30 — 11:00 am — https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/905882671
- Wednesday, April 1 — 3:30 pm — https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/545649965
- Thursday, April 2 — 9:00 am — https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/488162996
Please let us know which date your prefer, or, if none of these dates work for you. Either way, reply to stumberg@georgetown.edu.
In addition to the standard clinic application, the Policy Clinic uses a supplemental application page for students to rate interest in project topics. We use the ratings of student interest to assign students to a specific policy team in April, so students know which team they are on when they accept a position.
Fall and full-year options
Students can enroll the Policy Clinic for two semesters (14 credits, 8 and 6 per semester) or the fall only (8 credits). Students spend an average of 28 hours per week on clinic work in the fall and 21 hours per week in the spring.
Open to 2Ls, 3Ls, evening students
In a typical year, second- and third- year students participate in equal numbers. Evening students find that the clinic is flexible enough to accommodate their work schedules.
Teams and project work
Students in the Policy Clinic practice in one of four teams–climate, health/food, human rights, and trade–and they teach each policy other in the shared seminar. Likely projects for each team in 2019-20 are summarized here. Teamwork builds collaboration skills with internal and external partners. And the diversity of teams enables students see how shared skill sets apply to different subjects. See current teams and projects here …
Caroline Garth, Emma Light and Alex Love, in a February 2019 seminar at Fenton Communications
Policy skills
Our students acquire flexible lawyering skills to “make” rather than “take” a role in policy projects. Some legal roles, like litigator, are partially scripted by rules of procedure. A policy lawyer must craft a new role for each project. A client might ask us to draft a bill in Congress, to lobby the state legislature, or to analyze whether a trade treaty is constitutional. We organize our curriculum and grade students in the three most transferable lawyering skills: management and professionalism, analysis and strategy, and communication.
Yifan Zhu and Michael Dohmann, 2019
Management & professionalism
1. “Manage up” to shape expectations.
2. Collaborate effectively.
3. Manage multiple work streams.
4. Evaluate yourself before others do.
5. Manage ethical/value conflicts.
Analysis & strategy
1. Analyze law-making authority.
– Statutory authority
– Preemption and treaty conflict
– Interpretation of statutes and treaties
2. Frame policy choices.
– Identify criteria to choose options.
– Project outcomes and tradeoffs into the future.
3. Develop a strategy.
– Hierarchy of goals, objectives, tasks
– Logical framework model (input/output)
– Theory of change (cause/effect)
Communication – writing & speaking
1. Organize analysis logically.
2. Relate analysis through stories and examples.
3. Show what you mean with pictures, graphs, and logic schemas.
4. Use informative (not advocacy) tone to empower clients.
5. Conclude actively to support client decision-making.