“This was indeed my first case with the Criminal Defense Clinic,” says Tiplitz. “I had been looking forward to participating in the Criminal Defense Clinic since matriculation, and it has proven to be my favorite experience in law school so far."
The Criminal Defense Clinic offers current law students an opportunity to gain hands-on experiences while working real-life cases. Tiplitz says this collaboration is very beneficial to his legal career.
“I was fortunate to have a case that I could get passionate about. My client's case centered on a real, legitimate injustice involving the criminalization of non-severe high school misbehavior, a perfect example of the school-to-prison pipeline that we now recognize to be a cancer on our justice system,” says Tiplitz.
“I am glad we reached a happy ending for my client, though, it is a shame he had to go through as much difficulty as he did before we came to an acceptable solution,” says Tiplitz.
He was able to resolve of all of his client's outstanding matters: securing an indigency waiver of fees and fines in a prior conviction from high school tickets, preparing for trial and negotiating a dismissal in an open misdemeanor complaint.
In the Criminal Defense Clinic, students learn a model of criminal defense advocacy rooted in a whole-client (holistic) ethos. Students work with clients, client families, community organizations, and experts in various disciplines to defend clients facing misdemeanor charges in Tarrant and surrounding counties. Clinic students appear in court at pretrial appearances and hearings, potentially representing clients at trial. Students should expect to visit clients incarcerated at the local detention center and to help connect clients to necessary social services.
The Criminal Defense Clinic student teams also work collaboratively with local organizations on projects to enhance justice for people interacting with the criminal justice system in our community.
Students in the clinic can expect to: