The Paul M. Hebert Law Center finished the first semester of the expanded Clinical Legal Education Program that allows law students to get first-hand experience in a courtroom. “The student evaluations were very positive,” said Robert Lancaster, clinical program director and law professor. “Some students said it was their best experience in the law school.” Students worked with clients, talked to judges and spent time in Baton Rouge courtrooms during the program, Lancaster said. Janell Weil, law student enrolled in domestic violence and family mediation, said she was able to work with five clients during the semester, while working toward her law degree. Weil said the clinics were “definitely the most beneficial experience I’ve had.” “It’s been an outstanding addition to the law school,” said Jack Weiss, Law Center chancellor. “I’m very happy with the progress.” In the three concentrated programs, 26 students participated in family mediation, juvenile representation or domestic violence. The facility worked hard to put the clinics together, and they were successful, Weil said. The Law Center just finished plans to remodel one of the wings in the old law building to provide a law clinic, Lancaster said. This semester, the Law Center worked with outside agencies to work with clients.The goal is to manage cases at the Law Center, Lancaster said. Students will have the space to work on their cases and hire more faculty to teach the clinics. “I’ve always envisioned we would [have] a clinical program, and the space was specifically designed for clinical education,” Weiss said.The new space for the clinic center should be complete in fall 2009, Lancaster said.”It was a good attempt, but it was a rough draft and has a long way to go,” said Dominic Golemi, law student enrolled in domestic violence clinic.Michael Marino, law student enrolled in family mediation, said the faculty did a good job for the first semester of a program and the course wasn’t as organized as other courses, but it was new and different from the rest of the courses offered. Lancaster said while there was one concern from a student about the facility, all the student evaluations he has received contained positive feedback.”The courtroom experience was invaluable,” said Tabitha Olivard Mangano, law student enrolled in domestic violence. “I would do it again if I had more time.”Mangano said she was prepared for all the hard work involved, but some people weren’t because it was not clearly expressed in the course manual.—-Contact Joy Lukachick at [email protected]