In the Veterans Legal Services Clinic, Bowen law students will represent men and women who have served in our country’s military and help them access benefits to which they are entitled under federal law.
Under the supervision of the clinic director, students will handle at least one case involving a service-connected disability compensation appeal or request for reconsideration of discharge status. In representing their veteran clients, students will develop an array of critical lawyering skills, such as client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation, legal research and writing, case planning, development of legal theory, as well as written and oral advocacy. In the clinic seminar, students will practice these legal skills through simulations and will learn the applicable substantive and procedural law. In addition, students will explore issues related to professional responsibility and development. Finally, students will examine the barriers Arkansas veterans face in trying to access justice and will explore strategies for improving veterans’ well-being through community education and other forms of systemic advocacy.
Students interested in applying for this course should be aware of the following prerequisites and requirements.
| Veterans Legal Services Clinic 6 credit hours Professor Rebecca Feldmann, Director |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Rule 15 Certification Required? | Completed Credit Hours Required | Number of students per semester | Prerequisite Courses/Other Requirements |
| No, but students must meet the requirements of 38 C.F.R. § 14.629(c)(3) once enrolled in the clinic. Additionally, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has requirements that students handling an appeal at that level must meet. | 30 | 6 | First-year curriculum Legal Profession |
