Skills Training

Skills training is an integral part of Gonzaga’s curriculum and programs. CLIPS highlights opportunities for students to acquire the skills, substantive knowledge, and values to use law for public service.

Clinical Program

Students working with Gonzaga’s Clinical Program earn law school credit by providing legal services to qualifying low-income residents, nonprofit organizations and other public interest entities of Spokane County. The variety of clinical experiences available provide students opportunities, for example, to interview and counsel clients and negotiate on their behalf, represent clients in hearings, engage in discovery, and draft briefs, estate planning documents, as well as business formation and operation documents.

Externship Program

Through Gonzaga’s Externship program, students earn law school credits working with law offices serving people without resources to afford legal assistance and with governmental agencies.

Externs learn lawyering skills through hands-on training under the direction of sitting judges and practicing attorneys. A concurrent seminar encourages reflective learning through journaling and an exploration into professional responsibilities and identity.

The Laurel Rubin Externship Advocacy Project (REAP)

Gonzaga REAP extern, Lindsey Paxton, outside of migrant labor housing in Mattawa, Washington.

REAP is a unique public interest externship opportunity to work full-time in Yakima valley assisting farm workers with civil legal needs. This is a collaborative project of the Washington State Bar’s Access to Justice Law School Relations Committee, supported by Columbia Legal Services, the Northwest Justice Program, and the Northwest Immigrants’ Rights Project. Bi-lingual (Spanish) students from all three of Washington’s law schools are eligible to apply.

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