We’re very excited by the response we’ve gotten to the Request for Proposals for the new A2J Clinic Program. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions we’ve received. If you have any other questions, please don’t hestiate to contact CALI Excecutive Director John Mayer at jmayer @ CALI.org
Who owns the ‘Course Kits’?
Q: After the A2J Clinical Project concludes, who will own the property rights to the “Course Kits” that are developed and used by participating faculty members?
A: The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction historically retains the copyright to all of the CALI Lessons that are developed by faculty authors in exchange for a one time payment. Similarly, we will offer a one-time payment of $5000 in exchange for the copyrights to the participating faculty members’ course kits. These course kits will be freely available for use by all CALI member-schools.
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What is a ‘Course Kit’?
Q: What is a ‘Course Kit’?
A: Defining exactly what will be included in each participants Course Kit will be determined as part of the Project. At a minimum, the course kits are likely to include a syllabus, assignments and a work plan for the student performances, as well as any tools developed or used by the faculty member to help track their students’ performance. This website is an example of the course kit developed by Prof. Ronald W. Staudt at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.
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When will these courses be offered?
Q: When will the courses developed as part of the Access to Justice Clinical Course Project be offered at participating law schools?
A: The A2J Clinical Course Project plans to announce selected faculty members in January and then work with that group throughout the Spring 2013 semester to develop course kits. The plan is that those course kits would then be taught by the faculty members in the Fall 2013. If a professor wanted to teach an A2J Clinic in the Spring 2013, we are eager to help with that, but the project does not require it.
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Is this project only available to Clinical Professors?
Q: Is the A2J Clinical Course Project only available to Clinical Professors?
A: No, the A2J Clinical Course Project is open to all full-time faculty members CALI-member law schools. The Project seeks to combine an academic treatment of the legal, ethical and policy issues posed by electronic lawyering with the hands-on experience of developing online tools that lower the barriers to justice for low-income people. All full time faculty members are encouraged to participate.
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Is prior technical experience required?
Q: How much prior technical experience must I have to teach an A2J Clinic?
A: No prior experience with A2J Author® or any other document assembly tools is required to participate in the Access to Justice Clinical Course Project. All participating professors will be trained in A2J Author® and HotDocs during a three-day training session in Spring 2013. Additionally, funds will be provided so that each participating clinic can hire an outside technical consultant to assist students with the software.
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What if I’m not selected?
Q. If I’m not selected to participate in the A2J Clinical Course Project, can I still adopt this course model?
A. Yes! We welcome any interested professor to adopt this course model at their law school. Financial resources limit the number of clinics we can accept into the A2J Clinic Project, but we would happily assist any professor in establishing such a clinical course offering as much as possible.
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How do I apply?
Q: How do I apply to teach an A2J Clinic at my law school?
A: To submit a course proposal, interested faculty members need to submit a Letter of Intent along with a copy of their resume/CV by email to CALI® Executive Director John Mayer at jmayer@cali.org by November 15, 2012. All submissions should include a proposed course name and description; number of credits to be offered; whether the course will be a new offering or a modification of an existing course; and whether the faculty member intends to develop the course as a permanent part of the law school’s curriculum.