Field Placement
Academic Year/Summer (DeSoto)
Important: Students applying for this clinic should attach to their clinic preference sheet their resume and an anonymous writing sample of no more than five (5) pages.
Faculty Supervisor
Professor Bari Burke (Fall) / Professor Anthony Johnstone (Spring)
Supervising Attorneys
Federal District Court Judge Dana Christensen and Federal District Court Judge Donald Molloy (Clerk: Melissa Hartigan), U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto (Clerk: Tracey Baldwin)
Prerequisites
Professional Responsibility
Recommended
Criminal Procedure - Investigative, Criminal Procedure - Adjudicative
Areas of Emphasis
Criminal law and a wide range of civil matters; legal research and writing; oral and written advocacy; litigation strategy
Sample Projects
- Draft advisory memoranda and court documents
General Information
Students at the United States District Court, Missoula Division, work on active court cases and receive instruction and detailed guidance from the judges and court staff. Duties include legal research, oral presentation and discussion of works-in-progress, and drafting of advisory memoranda and court documents. Students also observe a variety of pretrial conferences, settlement conferences, hearings, criminal proceedings, and trials.
Code of Conduct
Students assigned to the federal judicial placement must also be prepared to comply with the following requirements: Students are bound by the . The Code requires special attention to the integrity and independence of the judiciary, and the avoidance of an appearance of impropriety, beyond the standard rules of professional conduct. During the placement, this includes certain limits on outside legal work, financial conflicts of interest, political activities, and social media use. Students must be fingerprinted, pass a background check, and be prepared with documentation to complete an I-9 Form. Contact the faculty supervisor if you have any questions. Clinic hours must be completed on-site using computers and materials provided by the Court.