Leah Wortham & Margaret Martin Barry, Catholic University

1. TONE/MESSAGE: Are there overarching messages, e.g., about the nature of the clinic, the impression to clients, or the interaction within the group, that you want to effectuate with the clinic design?

CUA wanted to effectuate and symbolize the confidentiality aspect of a law office. Only clinic faculty and staff and students currently enrolled have facscards programmed to enter the law school side of the clinic. Others have to ring a bell to gain entry, either through the entrance on the front of the building or the entrance from within the law school.

The clinic had moved from a townhouse off campus where faculty and students often spent long hours and developed a strong camaraderie. We purposely choice to duplicate some facilities available in the general law school to emphasize the unity of faculty and students here. There is a small lounge and kitchen within the clinic. The student area of the clinic has a bathroom in addition to the other restroom for client use off the waiting area.

The faculty offices are within the clinic, rather than on the fourth floor with other faculty, but they are identical in size and furnishings to other faculty offices. While this location poses problems for clinic faculty with regard to interaction with other faculty members, the overwhelming sense of the clinical faculty was that it was important for students and clients and general administration of the office that they be physically present in the clinic most of the time.

2. ACCESS TO THE CLINIC

Is the clinic easy to find for someone coming from outside the building? Is the path to the clinic welcoming?

3. CLIENT MEETING SPACE

Where will students interview clients? Are there meetings involving others who come along with the client, opposing counsel, etc. that need larger spaces? Be sure to have sufficient interviewing space as failure to have such space can be contrary to the tone you might wish to set.

4. CLIENT WAITING SPACE

Is the reception area attractive and equipped for a comfortable wait? Is there anything you want to encourage clients to read or see while waiting? Is the waiting area comfortable and interesting for children? Is there convenient access to a restroom?

5. STUDENT WORK SPACE:

How many students are you planning for? Do you have the budget to give each student a dedicated work space or will students need to share? Do not forget to plan for growth if your budget allows for it.

What functions need to be done at each work space? What is the access to phone, computers, files?

If students need to do collaborative work, what space is available? If students have many documents to sort and assemble for a trial, what space will they use?

6. COMPUTERS AND PRINTERS

For what functions do students need computers--document preparation, research, e-mail, record-keeping on client cases in a central system? Where will be computers be located to allow students to perform these functions with maximum efficiency? Where will printers be housed?

7. OTHER EQUIPMENT

What other equipment must be accommodated--photocopy machine, fax, scanner? Does the clinic own a still camera? Video equipment is discussed in another bullet. For equipment about which there might be a security concern, is there a locked location where it will be safe from theft?

8. PAPER RECORD KEEPING

Does the file storage insure confidentiality and encourage constant and thorough upkeep and documentation? Are there logs or records other than client files that must be maintained? Where are they maintained? Who has access to files? Does the location provide convenient access for all such people? Is there space to store closed files?

9. COMMUNICATION: Some of these questions do not seem immediately to be space questions, but the type of internal communication system chosen usually has space implications. Mail slots take up considerable space and have to be put in a convenient place. Usually designing them in at the outset is more efficient than trying to add them later. Moving to a new space often encompasses at least the possibility of a new phone or computer system and presents an opportunity to consider whether one wishes to make changes in office procedures.

What type of slots or baskets do faculty and students need for receiving mail and exchanging drafts of documents? Do faculty need a system for separating certain types of incoming documents, e.g., time urgent, drafts for review separate from other mail?

How do faculty and students leave notes for each other? Is this best done on paper, through e-mail, or through voice mail? If paper notes are part of this system, where do they go?

Do you want an in/out board showing who is in at all times? Do you need a place to post student and faculty office hours?

Will the voice mail system accommodate giving each student a voice mail box? Will e-mail communication be an expected part of internal and external communication for clinic staff and students?

10. RESEARCH RESOURCES

Do you need a hard copy volume library in the clinic? What reference materials are needed in this format?

Where are the access to computer resources?

11. VIDEO REVIEW

In what rooms do you want the capacity to video tape simulated or real interviews, rehearsals of appearances, or other meetings? In what rooms do you want the capacity to review videos?

Do you want access to outside television reception in any part of the clinic?

12. FACULTY OFFICES

The decision of how offices for clinic faculty relate to offices for the rest of the faculty is a difficult one in many law schools. On the one hand, one wishes faculty to be integrated and treated as of equal status. On the other hand, faculty need to be available to students for supervision. The closer the clinic is to faculty offices generally, the easier it probably is to accommodate both needs. The CUA clinic was located for maximum convenience to clients on the street level and thus is somewhat distant from other faculty offices. Some decisions about faculty offices were discussed in the first section.

Will faculty conduct supervision sessions in their offices? If so, can they accommodate the number of people involved, and is the furnishing optimal for that purpose?

Are the location and design of faculty offices such that they are accessible to students but have the capacity to have sound and visual privacy for times the faculty need to be left alone?

13. SOUND PROOFING

Are all spaces where client matters might be discussed well sound proofed?

14. SEMINAR AND OFFICE MEETINGS

Will the seminar or office meetings be held in the clinic or at some other location in the building? Having seminar rooms that are large enough to accommodate simulations and other classroom activities can take space that is already available in other parts of the law school and cut into the budget for the clinic. Thus, if the clinic is in the same building as the law school or nearby, you should consider using the smaller classrooms elsewhere. Office meetings, on the other hand, can be more productive and less disrupted if held in the clinic in one of its larger conference rooms.

15. COURTROOMS

The design focus for law school courtrooms tends to be appellate. This is so even if provision is made for a jury. Make sure that the design of at least one courtroom is conducive to trial litigation. The judge and jury should be able to easily observe the witnesses, and the courtroom clerk should be within easy reach of and contact with the judge. Think of how litigation is done in your jurisdiction, and, without necessarily replicating the courtrooms, accommodate the procedural demands of your locality. While not essential, consider having such a courtroom in or close to the clinic suite.