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12 Clinical L. Rev. 243 (2005-2006)
Nourishing Justice and the Continuum: Implementing a Blended Model in an Immigration Law Clinic

handle is hein.journals/clinic12 and id is 249 raw text is: NOURISHING JUSTICE AND THE
CONTINUUM: IMPLEMENTING
A BLENDED MODEL IN AN
IMMIGRATION LAW CLINIC
IRENE SCHARF*
The purpose of this Article is to describe how the new Immigration
Law Clinic at the Southern New England School of Law has com-
bined attention to the School's mission of educating students and ex-
panding justice by serving the community with the broader goal of
addressing the continuing educational needs of recent law school
graduates. The Clinic not only offers direct legal services to clients
but also trains and mentors recently graduated local attorneys, who
offer both pro bono client representation as well as student supervi-
sion. Through the Immigration Law Clinic, these attorneys are
trained in both immigration law and clinical supervision. This dual
training has enhanced the Clinic as well as provided the South Coast
area of Massachusetts with attorneys trained in the types of legal is-
sues that plague lower-income immigrants. In addition, these attor-
neys, now acting as clinical supervisors, allow the Clinic to admit
more students, thereby providing both clinical experience to greater
numbers of students and legal assistance to greater numbers of immi-
grants. Part I of the the Article discusses the concept of mission in
law schools, especially as it has been affected by the MacCrate Re-
port, which urged schools to address both the problem of achieving
justice in our society and the need for continuing education for attor-
neys. Part II draws the connection between the justice mission and
learning continuum with the Law School's new Immigration Law
Clinic, describing how the Clinic's structure addresses the Law
School's mission of providing community service by blending the
work of newer attorneys who are not clinicians with that of the Clinic.
By building attention to the learning continuum into the Clinic's
structure in a so-called Blended Model, we have not only been able
to educate two groups, law students and community lawyers, but we
have also enhanced the Clinic's ability to improve the justice system
by increasing access to it. Finally, Part II identifies some issues faced
in working with the Model during the past two years and describes
* Professor and Director, Clinical Programs, Southern New England School of Law. I
would like to thank Crystal Desirey, paralegal extraordinaire, for her invaluable research
and conceptualizing assistance. Thanks are also owed to Justine Dunlap for her comments
on a later draft, and to the administration of Southern New England School of Law for
supporting this project with a Summer Stipend.

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