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PaperCLIP is a Business and Intellectual Property Law Journal that was formed in the Fall of 2012. The mission of the Journal is to produce high quality legal writings that address some of the pertinent issues surrounding the intellectual property community. The Journal also strives to fuse relationships between TJSL students and legal professionals whose expertise are in the field of intellectual property and business. The Journal urges students who are interested in intellectual property or business law to submit their writings to be published.

“PaperClip provides a great opportunity for students to improve their writing skills, boost their resume, and contribute to the IP community by writing and editing articles of all lengths.” Professor Semeraro. The Journal gives students the experience of writing a legal article while getting constructive feedback to help improve their writing abilities. 

“PaperClip gives students an opportunity to make a brief legal argument without writing a law review article. Not only can students hone their writing skills, they also become very knowledgeable in the subject.” Professor Cromer-Young. By being well versed in a particular area of law, students can use that knowledge to facilitate conversation with professionals during networking opportunities and interviews.

We urge all students interested in this area of law to be apart of PaperCLIP, whether its writing an article to be published or help the Editorial Board edit submitted articles.

For the latest published work, visit the Articles page.

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Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s Teach-Out plan for its ABA program has been approved by the ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

This plan allows students who matriculated prior to December, 2019, to complete their education at Thomas Jefferson’s campus in downtown San Diego.  The J.D. program offered through the Teach-Out Plan remains an accredited program for the limited purpose of teaching out and issuing the J.D. degree to students who matriculated prior to December, 2019, and meet the Law School’s graduation requirements no later than the end of the Spring 2023 semester. Recipients of those degrees are considered by the ABA Council to be graduates of an ABA-approved J.D. program.

The Law School will admit new J.D. students only to its J.D. program accredited by the California State Bar Committee of Bar Examiners for the Fall 2020 term, with an optional Early Start in Summer 2020.  For more information on this opportunity, please see www.tjsl.edu/admissions/jd-admissions.

 

Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association

321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654 

312-988-6738

 

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The Criminal Law Fellowship Program brings together a group of students passionate about working in the criminal law, whether as criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, policy-makers, lawmakers, reformers, or activists. 

The Program focuses especially on developing essential practice skills that will help Fellows jump into practice quickly and confidently, and on helping Fellows start networking with attorneys already practicing criminal law so that Fellows can meet future colleagues, mentors, advisors, recommenders, and employers before they finish law school.

Below, you will find a number of important resources for Criminal Law Fellows, including:


INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Director: Associate Dean and Professor Anders Kaye
anderskaye@tjsl.edu

 

Teaching Expertise: Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Vice Crime, Evidence, Federal Criminal Law, The Law of Rape

 

Criminal Practice: Public defender, New York Legal Aid Society, Criminal Appeals Bureau (1997-2001). Consultant to New York Capital Defender’s Office.

 

Research: Why do we punish? Who deserves to be punished (if anyone)? Are there alternative approaches to crime prevention and control that do not require infliction of punishment? Why are drug use and non-violent, non-traditional sex made crimes?  

 


PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

In order to complete the Fellowship Program, you must satisfy a number of requirements, set out below. Doing so allows you to identify yourself as a Criminal Law Fellow upon graduation, signaling to employers and peers that you have a long-standing commitment to criminal practice, and that you have made a serious effort to prepare for that practice. It also enables the Director of the Program to identify you as a Fellow in references and recommendation letters, and to provide concrete, meaningful evidence of your passion for and investment in practicing criminal law.

Here are the Fellowship Program's formal requirements:

  1. Admission to the Fellow Program. Fellows must be admitted to the Program.
    a. This normally occurs at the time of admission to the law school. 
    b. The Director may admit a student to the Program after the admissions process is complete if there is an opening in the Program, the Program requirements can reasonably be completed, and the student demonstrates a serious interest in practicing criminal law after graduation.
  2. Substantial Study of Criminal Law. Fellows must complete at least eighteen units of (qualifying) criminal law courses, with passing grades, prior to graduation. Courses focused primarily on criminal law or criminal procedure doctrine or policy, including the required courses in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure, normally qualify. The Program Director determines which courses qualify, so if you are in doubt about a course, please contact the Program Director. 
  3. Complete One One-Unit Fellow Course. Fellows must complete at least one one-unit Fellow course in order to satisfy the requirements for the Program. The Director will arrange to offer at least one one-unit Fellow course each school year. Fellows may take the course in their first, second, or third year of study.
  4. Participation in Fellow Events. Fellows must regularly attend Fellow events throughout their time in the Program. Fellows must attend at least three Fellow events in their first year of study, four Fellow events their second year of study, and four Fellow events in their third year of study. 
  5. Criminal Practice Externship or Internship.
    a. Fellows must complete at least one externship, internship, or other similar employment with an agency, office, or attorney in criminal practice. The practice experience should involve predominantly criminal practice and should be equivalent to at least a full semester of at least ten hours of work per week.
    b. The Director will determine whether the practice experience qualifies, considering such factors as the duration of the experience, the proportion of the experience devoted to criminal practice, and the Fellows duties and responsibilities during the practice experience.
  6. Waiver of Requirements in Exceptional Circumstances. In exceptional circumstances, the Director may waive any of these requirements at the Director's discretion. Please let the Director know as early as possible if you anticipate seeking a waiver due to exceptional circumstances.  
  7. Removal in Exceptional Circumstances. The Director may, in exceptional circumstances, suspend or remove a Fellow from the Program. For example, the Director may do so if it appears that Program participation will make it difficult for a Fellow to succeed academically, or if a Fellow’s conduct conflicts with Program administration or with other Fellows’ learning experiences in the Program.     
  8. Graduation Memorandum. Fellows approaching graduation must send the Program Director a brief (but complete) Graduation Memorandum showing how they have fulfilled the requirements above.  Doing so enables the Director to include you in Program records as a student who has completed the Criminal Law Fellowship Program. It also ensures that the Program has detailed information about you that we can use in references and recommendations in the future. Your Graduation Memorandum should specifically address each of the requirements set out above. Please send your Memorandum to Dean Kaye at anderskaye@tjsl.edu.

SUGGESTED COURSE OF STUDY AND PRACTICE FOR CRIMINAL LAW FELLOWS

The Fellow Program is meant to enable Fellows to hit the ground running in criminal practice after graduation. In order to achieve this goal, the Program requires Fellows to develop practice skills, knowledge of the criminal law, and professional networks in a number of different ways.  The table below suggests a course of study and practice for doing so. 

While Fellows are not required to follow this course, all Fellows should plan carefully to complete the Program’s requirements, to arrange extensive practice opportunities, to study substantive criminal law throughout their course of study, and to persistently pursue opportunities to expand their professional networks.   

 

First Year

What to Focus On

  • Mastering Fundamental Substantive Law
  • Starting to Develop Criminal Law Practice Skills
  • Starting to Develop a Professional Network
  • Becoming More Familiar with Criminal Practice

 

What to Do

1L Courses. In their first year, Fellows should devote nearly all their time and energy to successfully completing the regular first-year curriculum.  This is an essential foundation for success in law school, on the bar, and in practice.

Legal Writing. 1L Fellows may be enrolled in a legal-writing course dedicated to criminal law and procedure issues. 

One-Unit Course. In the Spring semester, 1L Fellows will have the opportunity to enroll in a special one-unit, one-weekend, Fellows-only course on a criminal law or procedure topic.  Normally, this course is Introduction to Criminal Trial Practice.

Fellow Events. 1L Fellows should attend all scheduled Criminal Law Fellow events, including all lunch panel discussions with criminal law practitioners. 

Externship Planning. In the spring semester, 1L Fellows should meet with the Director of the Externship Program, Professor Judybeth Tropp, in order to arrange criminal practice externships for the summer and/or 2L year. 

First Summer

What to Focus On

  • Developing Criminal Law Practice Skills
  • Starting to Build a Professional Network

 

What to Do

Externship / Criminal Practice.  In summer after completing the 1L curriculum, Fellows should work in the criminal justice field – for a public defender’s office, district attorney’s office, private criminal defense office, criminal justice law reform organization, or other similar criminal practice employer.  This work experience will be critical to developing essential practice skills, building a resume for future employment, and starting to develop a professional network.  

Getting Certified (Taking Evidence). Fellows should also strongly consider becoming certified for supervised practice. Under the supervision of a practicing attorney, certified students are authorized to engage in a wide range of lawyering activities: they can appear at trials and hearings, take depositions, negotiate on behalf of clients, and give legal advice.  Thus, this is an important step toward development of essential practice skill. In order to become certified, a Thomas Jefferson student must have completed one full year of law school, must have completed or be enrolled in Evidence and Civil Procedure, and must complete an application that includes a declaration from an attorney who will supervise the student’s work. See California Rules of Court, Rule 9.42. Many Fellows take Evidence during their first summer, and become certified at the start of the summer, so that they can start to make appearances in court during that summer.    

Second Year

What to Focus On

  • Reinforcing Criminal Law Practice Skills
  • Expanding Professional Networks
  • Deepening Substantive Knowledge of the Criminal Law

 

What to Do

Externship(s).  2L Fellows should complete an externship during at least one semester of their 2L year. If they have not done so already, Fellows should seek out the Director of the Externship Program, Professor Judybeth Tropp, in order to arrange criminal practice externships for the 2L year.

Criminal Law Electives.  Fellows in their second year should enroll in electives covering criminal law, criminal procedure, and criminal justice topics.  (Remember, in order to graduate as a Fellow, Fellows must complete 18 units of criminal law courses, including 12 units of criminal law electives. Fellows are given priority registration for such electives.) Fellows are especially encouraged to enroll in Adjudicatory Criminal Procedure, which covers constitutional rules of criminal procedure that apply from the bail hearing to the end of the criminal trial, including right to counsel, ineffective assistance, jury selection, rights at trial, sentencing, and  many other topics that are critical to criminal practice and that are heavily bar-tested.    

Criminal Law Focused Trial Practice Course.  The Law School offers a section of Trial Practice emphasizing criminal law issues nearly every semester.  Fellows are strongly encouraged to take this course.

Fellow Events.  2L Fellows should attend all scheduled Criminal Law Fellow events, including all lunch panel discussions with criminal law practitioners.

Second Summer

What to Focus On

  • Reinforcing Criminal Law Practice Skills
  • Expanding Professional Networks
  • Laying Foundation for Post-Graduate Employment

 

What to Do

Externship / Criminal Practice.  In summer after completing the 2L curriculum, Fellows should work in the criminal justice field – for a public defender’s office, district attorney’s office, private criminal defense office, criminal justice law reform organization, or other similar criminal practice employer.  Doing so enables Fellows to strengthen essential practice skills, strengthen their resumes for future employment, and deepen their professional networks.  Second summer employment is often a critical stepping stone to post-graduate work – with the second-summer employer, or with other employers the Fellow connects with during the second summer.

Getting Certified.  Fellows who have not already been certified for supervised practice should do so for this summer.  (Certification is discussed fully above, in the First Summer section.)

Third Year

What to Focus On

  • Reinforcing Criminal Law Practice Skills
  • Expanding Professional Networks
  • Deepening Substantive Knowledge of the Criminal Law
  • Preparing for the Bar Examination. 

What to Do

Externship(s). 3L Fellows who have not already completed at least one externship in criminal practice should complete an externship during at least one semester of their 3L year. If they have not done so already, Fellows should seek out the Director of the Externship Program, Professor Judybeth Tropp, in order to arrange criminal practice externships for the 3L year.

Criminal Law Electives. Fellows in their third year should enroll in electives covering criminal law, criminal procedure, and criminal justice topics.  (Remember, in order to graduate as a Fellow, Fellows must complete 18 units of criminal law courses, including 12 units of criminal law electives.  Fellows are given priority registration for such electives.) Fellows are especially encouraged to enroll in Adjudicatory Criminal Procedure if they have not already done so. This course covers constitutional rules of criminal procedure that apply from the bail hearing to the end of the criminal trial, including right to counsel, ineffective assistance, jury selection, rights at trial, sentencing, and many other topics that are critical to criminal practice and that are heavily bar-tested.

Fellow Events. 3L Fellows should attend all scheduled Criminal Law Fellow events, including all lunch panel discussions with criminal law practitioners.

Career Planning. Those who have not yet arranged post-graduate employment should meet with the Director to develop a plan for doing so.  They should also meet with the Director of Career Services.   

Bar Preparation. All Fellows must commit to aggressive preparation for the bar examination, making full use of all the resources the Law School offers for this purpose.  It goes without saying that Fellows must succeed on the bar examination in order to utilize the skills, knowledge, and networks they have developed as Fellows, and to pursue their passion for the criminal practice.

Graduation Memorandum. In the Spring semester, 3L Fellows must submit a Graduation Memorandum, as described above, in the section on Program Requirements.

Third Summer

What to Focus On

  • Single-Minded Focus on Passing the Bar Exam

 

What to Do

Bar Preparation.  Fellows who have graduated should devote all their attention to passing the bar examination. They should enroll in a commercial bar preparation course.  They should not work until after they have completed the bar examination. 

Along the Way

One-Unit Fellows Course.  All Fellows must complete, prior to graduation, a one-unit, one-weekend Criminal Law Fellows-only course.  These courses are offered at least once every year.

Center Certification. Fellows should also consider pursuing a certificate from the Center for Criminal Law and Policy.  More information about the Center and its certificate program is available on the Center’s homepage.


FELLOW GOALS

As a Fellow in the Criminal Law Fellowship Program, you should aim to achieve several goals that will prepare you to enter criminal practice with confidence.  Below, we suggest some of the most important goals you should pursue during your time in the Program, and some of the ways the Program can support you as you work to achieve them.

  1. Knowledge of Substantive Law Relevant to Criminal Practice.
    a. Goal.  By the time you complete the Program, you should aim to be able to understand the substantive doctrine and theory relevant to criminal practice, including criminal law and criminal procedure.  You should be able to identify legal rules, concepts, and theories arising in these areas, and to effectively apply the substantive law in these areas to factual situations.
    b. Program Support.  Fellows study this doctrine and theory in required and elective courses offered in the J.D. program, as well as in occasional courses offered through the Fellow Program.  The Program requires Fellows to complete at least eighteen units of study in these areas as condition for completion of the Program.
  2. Development of Practical Skills Relevant to Criminal Practice.
    a. Goal.  Fellows should strive to develop practical skills relevant to Criminal Practice, including legal analysis, research, drafting, pre-trial practice, trial practice, and post-conviction practice in the criminal context. 
    b. Program Support.  Fellows may be introduced to and develop these skills in (i) their first-year legal writing course, (ii) required criminal practice experiences (externship, internship, or other equivalent), (iii) elective courses developing such skills (such as criminal practice oriented trial practice and motion drafting courses) which may be taken to satisfy the Program’s criminal law study unit requirement, and (iv) a required one-unit Fellow course introducing and developing such skills.   
  3. Development of Professional Interpersonal Skills Useful In Criminal Practice.
    a. Goal.  Fellows should invest in developing professional interpersonal skills useful in criminal practice, including networking; forming peer, mentoring and counseling relationships; and communicating effectively about criminal law, policy, and practice.
    b. Program Support.   Fellows are required to participate in Program events involving practicing attorneys throughout their time in the Program. We encourage Fellows to interact with these practicing attorneys in ways conducive to networking, formation of peer, mentoring and counseling relationships, and effective communication about criminal law, policy, and practice.  Where appropriate, we will provide advice, feedback, and other support in these areas.   
  4. Knowledge About The Scope and Diversity of Criminal Practice.
    a. Goal. Fellows should aim to become familiar with the scope and diversity of forms of criminal practice and the requirements and expectations associated with these diverse forms.
    b. Program Support. Fellows are required to participate in programs involving practicing attorneys from diverse practice areas.  These attorneys will discuss their practice areas and describe the requirements and expectations associated with these areas.
  5. Knowledge About Managing A Criminal Practice Office.
    a. Goal. Fellows should aim to become familiar with the challenges associated with opening and maintaining a criminal practice office and methods and strategies for doing so successfully.
    b. Program Support. Fellows are required to participate in programs involving practicing attorney managing criminal practice offices.  These attorneys will discuss the challenges faced opening and maintaining such offices and methods and strategies for doing so successfully.

THE FELLOW PROGRAM AND THE CENTER FOR CRIMINAL LAW AND POLICY

Thomas Jefferson also hosts The Center for Criminal Law and Policy, which presents criminal justice-related events and issues certificates to students who fulfill Center requirements.  The Fellow Program and the Center are separate entities, and Fellows are not required to complete the Center Certificate requirements.  However, Criminal Law Fellows can often satisfy the Center Certificate requirements relatively easily, so it is worth considering pursuing the Center Certificate as well, as another way to demonstrate passion for and commitment to criminal law.  You can find out more about the Center and its Certificate Program on the Center webpage.

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Thomas Jefferson School of Law offers two fellowship programs for students interested in Criminal Law, and those interested in Intellectual Property, Entertainment & Sports Law.

The Criminal Law Fellowship Program is designed for law students interested in pursuing a career in criminal law. It offers intensive criminal law exposure from the first day of law school through courses tailored to criminal practice and special events with expert practitioners. Criminal Law Fellows can be certified to practice in criminal court at the beginning of their second year of law school and are encouraged to spend at least two semesters working in a real criminal practice setting. They also receive preference to register for all advanced criminal law and procedure classes.

The Intellectual Property, Entertainment & Sports Law Fellowship Program is designed for law students interested in fields where intellectual property plays an important role, including the sports and entertainment industries and various aspects of business law from small mom-and-pop start-ups to large tech companies. This fellowship provides superior access to intellectual property, sports, and entertainment law in the classroom and in the field. Students can work one-on-one with professors on scholarly projects and have the opportunity to work for academic credit in the Law School's patent and trademark clinics as well as with companies, law firms, and public entities that deal with intellectual property issues. The fellowship regularly hosts events with scholars and practicing lawyers. Students in the fellowship receive preference to register in all fellowship-related electives. 

We invite you to visit the web pages of these fellowship programs to learn more.

 

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Spring 2023

Incoming Students Only Week 1 – January 2 – January 6, 2023

Regular Classes Begin - January 9, 2023

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Holiday - January 16, 2023

Midterm Exams –February 26 – February 28, 2023

Spring Break - March 13 – March 17, 2023

Last Day of Classes – April 26, 2023

Review Period – April 27 – May 2, 2022

Final Exams - May 3 – May 12, 2023

Semester Ends - May 12, 2023

 

Spring Intersession 2023

May 15, 2023-June 2, 2023

 

Summer 2023

ESP Incoming Students Only – Orientation – June 3, 2023

Classes Begin - June 5, 2023

Observe Juneteenth Holiday June 19th – June 19, 2023

Midterm Exams – June 25, 2023

Observe Independence Day July 4th Holiday – July 4, 2023

Last Day of Classes – July 25, 2023

Review Period – July 26 – 27, 2023

Final Exams July 28 - 29, 2023

Semester Ends – July 29, 2023

 

Fall 2023

Incoming Students Only Week 1 – August 7 – August 11, 2023

Regular Classes Begin - August 14, 2023

Labor Day Holiday - September 4, 2023

Midterm Exams – October 1, 2, 3, 2023

Last Day of Classes – November 22, 2023

Review Period – November 27 – December 1, 2023

Final Exams - December 2 – December 11, 2023

Semester Ends - December 11, 2023

 

Spring 2024

Incoming Students Only Week 1 – January 2 – January 6, 2024

Regular Classes Begin - January 8, 2024

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Holiday - January 15, 2024

Midterm Exams –February 25- February 27, 2024

Spring Break - March 11 – 15, 2024

Last Day of Classes – April 24, 2024

Review Period – April 25 – April 30, 2024

Final Exams - May 1 – May 10, 2024

Semester Ends - May 10, 2024

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