Drake Legal Clinic

Public Notice:

Due to the recent University Policy, this building is CLOSED to the public until further notice.  If you are a client, contact your student attorney.

Please note we are not able to assist new clients until further notice.

Drake's legal clinic allows students to apply their classroom knowledge to the representation of real clients in a first-class clinical setting.

Through the Drake Legal Clinic, students have the chance to gain practical experience by working with actual clients. The clinic also serves the community by helping those who might not otherwise have access to legal assistance.

Learn more about our clinical programs:

• Children's Rights Clinic

• Criminal Defense Clinic

• Elder Law Clinic

• Entrepreneurial/Transactional Clinic

• General Civil Practice Clinic

• Refugee Legal Clinic

Iowa Student Practice License

Students who have completed the equivalent of three semesters of law school may apply for an Iowa Student Practice License.

Once admitted under the rule, participants in clinical programs are permitted to appear—under faculty supervision—as counsel on civil and misdemeanor criminal matters and to represent clients before the Iowa Court of Appeals or the Iowa Supreme Court.

Legal Clinic Faculty

Suzan Pritchett, Director of Clinical and Experiential Programs; Associate Professor of Law
515-271-3391 suzan.pritchett@drake.edu 
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Sally Frank, Professor of Law
515-271-3909 sally.frank@drake.edu
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Allison McCarthy, Clinical Teaching Fellow for the Refugee Clinic
515-271-1825 allison.mccarthy@drake.edu 

Robert Oberbillig, Adjunct Professor of Law
515-271-1809 robert.oberbillig@drake.edu
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Brent Pattison, Director of the Joan and Lyle Middleton Center for Children’s Rights; Associate Professor of Law
515-271-1810 brent.pattison@drake.edu
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Robert Rigg, Professor of Law; Director of the Criminal Defense Program
515-271-3928 robert.rigg@drake.edu

Nick Roby, Director of the Entrepreneurial/Transactional Clinic; Clinician in Residence
515-271-1808 nick.roby@drake.edu 

Facilities

The 40,000-square-foot Neal and Bea Smith Law Center houses the Law School’s clinical programs and includes classrooms, conference rooms, offices, a library, courtroom, and atrium.

The legal clinic courtroom with state-of-the-art technology is used for a variety of educational purposes and is also available for Iowa district court hearings, which are typically open for student observation.

Drake's legal clinic is supported by a $4.5 million federally funded endowment that ensures continued service to students and the community.

Contact Us

Neal and Bea Smith Law Center
2400 University Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50311
P 515-271-3851
F 515-271-4100