In the clinic’s seminar, students study the legal, social, and policy factors that contributed to the exponential rise of America’s prison population and consider alternative approaches to punishment. In the field work, students represent clients in two types of cases: federal sentencing proceedings and Connecticut state parole hearings. Students will learn advocacy strategies aimed at mitigating or ameliorating their clients’ punishment, both prospectively during sentencing and retrospectively during post-conviction proceedings.

Students’ work will include:

  • building relationships with clients (some of whom will be incarcerated)
  • interviewing witnesses
  • investigating case facts; developing case theories
  • working on interdisciplinary teams alongside expert witnesses
  • using narrative writing techniques to prepare persuasive pleadings
  • developing reentry plans for clients leaving prison

Additionally, students will present oral arguments at their clients’ federal hearings and will prepare state-sentenced clients to testify before the parole board.
 

Instructors

Miriam Gohara

Kelly M. Barrett

Ways to Engage

LSO Clinic

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Yale Law School offers more than 30 clinics that provide students with hands-on, practical experience in the law on a diverse range of subject matters.

YLS classroom in session

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Yale Law School enhances the intellectual life of its academic community by sponsoring a variety of centers, programs, and workshops, inspired by the interests of its faculty and students.

“

Today is a wonderful time to be blessed with legal training and to be able to go out and take on the enormous challenges of a difficult world — with an aspiration to lead tempered by humility at the complexity, difficulty, discipline, and self-sacrifice inherent in the task.”

Ben W. Heineman, Jr.

Class of 1971