Criminal Defense Clinic
Students in the Criminal Defense Clinic experience the dynamic world of criminal law. Taking part in this Clinic provides student interns a window into the inner workings of the criminal justice system.
Criminal Defense Clinic Interns handle a wide variety of cases, providing legal representation for indigent defendants charged with criminal offenses.
This may involve counseling clients with underlying issues such as substance abuse and mental health. Cases handled include misdemeanor and felony charges pending in the Shawnee County District Court, misdemeanor and ordinance violations pending in Topeka Municipal Court and criminal offenses in the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribal Court. On occasion, the Clinic represents an inmate seeking habeas corpus relief in federal court.
The scope of representation covers all phases of a client's case, from initial interviews and theory development through disposition or trial. Some select cases also provide students with an opportunity to conduct appellate argument. Students are lead counsel in all aspects of representation, including court proceedings.
Some of the charges and issues for which Washburn Law Clinic students have represented clients include:
- Driving Under the Influence
- Battery and Aggravated Battery
- Burglary
- Criminal Damage
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident
- Forgery
- Arson
- Federal Habeas Corpus
- Larceny
