Clinical Programs of Hebron University Law School in 2015

 

In the spring semester of 2015(starting mid-January), the clinical programs of Hebron University Law School are split into five clinics:

1. Labor Law Clinic

In this clinic, law students are connected with the Ministry of Labor at the local office within the District of Hebron. Here, students work with the Ministry's personnel to raise awareness on minimum wage for workers, child labor, and insurance for workers employed in risky jobs. With over 18,000 business establishments in Hebron and with only three staff members working at the Ministry's office at the district level, the students work with the Ministry's personnel by assisting them in their efforts to apply labor standards. Students act as staff members of the Ministry and operate as officials with a judicial police capacity in searching workplaces and investigating workers and employers. Eight students were assigned to this clinic.

2. Women Rights Clinic

This off-campus clinic is implemented through the placement of six law students at an NGO office, the Women Studies Center. After extensive training, students spend specific number of hours during the semester and, under supervision of the NGO's staff, conduct a number of street law-like public awareness campaigns on issues such as violence against women, child rights, and rights of women in family law. Students target high school girls in their awareness campaigns.

3. Family Law Clinic

This clinic is implemented in collaboration between the Hebron University clinical programs and the clinics of the University of Virginia in the United States. Three US researchers visit Palestine and work with clinical staff and students of Hebron University. The program includes field research on selected family law cases (for example inheritance, divorce, alimony, guardianship). It also includes a series of meetings and focus groups with senior officials, family law judges, women NGOs, religious scholars, and law students. The program train students on empirical field research techniques, surveys, case analysis, and has court visits, joint lectures, a debate, and a workshop. This clinic includes eight students.

4. Criminal Defense Clinic

This clinic is a continuation of the off-campus International Law Foundation's criminal justice clinic which has been implemented over the past three semesters. What is new in this semester is that the ILF and Hebron University Law School have reached a formal agreement on such clinic, making it more institutionalized. Four students were assigned to this clinic to represent clients who are in need for legal aid, under the supervision of ILF's lawyers and a faculty member from Hebron University.

5. Juvenile Justice Clinic

This clinic is taught jointly between Hebron University clinics and the clinical programs of Washington & Lee University in Virginia, United States, via videoconference. Two professors from each clinic share the teaching of this course. The clinic includes a series of distance discussions among the students from both sides, where students learn international as well as American and Palestinian standards relating to juveniles. At later stage, four American students and a law professor will visit Hebron Law School, conducting a joint two moot courts at Hebron University, organizing a workshop on the rights of children in conflict with the law in collaboration with juvenile stakeholders in Palestine (judges, lawyers, prosecutors, police, and probation officers), and carrying out a public awareness campaign on the rights of child for the police and the community. This program includes four students from Washington & Lee University and 24 students from Hebron University.

These five clinics operate in parallel with the general practice clinic at Hebron University Law School that provides free legal advices to the poor, and represents selected cases at Palestinian courts and relevant international organizations.