Email legal@uvm.edu<\/a> for more information and to express your interest in the program.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you frustrated with injustice? Do you want to learn more about the law? Are you interested in obtaining experience in the legal field? Do you want to learn more about your rights?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, getting engaged with UVM’s Student Legal Services may be for you. Each year, 15-20 students staff the SLS program and work closely with real, practicing attorneys, acting as liaisons between the attorneys and student clients and help frame legal issues in ways that clients can easily understand. Students relay legal advice, set up meetings, conduct legal research, accompany clients to court and judicial hearings, and provide referral services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The SLS program is an extraordinary opportunity for an undergraduate student. The chance to intern for practicing attorneys can be an invaluable experience, certainly for those considering law school, but also for those who haven’t yet been exposed to the practice of law and are curious about it. It provides students with a worthwhile opportunity to learn more about their constitutional rights, civil liberties, and how our legal system works. Some of our students do indeed pursue a legal career; many, however, choose not to, but take with them the multifaceted skills they acquired during this program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students will hold weekly \u201coffice hours\u201d in which to meet with student clients seeking legal advice. At these meetings, students will complete \u201cintake interviews\u201d to fully understand the issue at hand and start a case. Students will also observe office hours held by the SLS consulting attorney(s) to observe real legal advice being given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to note that students will not be legally representing clients\u2014they will only be relaying legal advice from licensed attorneys and\/or observing legal advice being given.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Students are well trained to decline to give legal advice and will be well prepared to give referrals if the legal issue is outside the scope of what the attorneys can provide\u2014i.e. no student v. student or Title IX cases. Most cases seen by the program are landlord-tenant or student conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consulting attorney(s) will also hold office hours in which interns can seek advice\/speak about cases individually if specified information needs to be relayed. Consulting attorney(s) will also be available via email and conduct research on cases as needed.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n\n\n Students commit to a full-year term and are expected to enroll in credit during both Fall and Spring semesters via the accompanying Student Legal Services course. Students are encouraged to continue their involvement with SLS for multiple years (either by re-enrolling in credit or in a volunteer capacity). The course is repeatable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All students are required to attend weekly class meetings with the course instructor and consulting attorney(s) for lecture and \u201cconference\u201d re: cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Course activities will include summarizing cases, seeking advice to relay back to student clients, reflective activities, guest speakers, and instruction on best practices. The first three weeks\/sessions will be a crash course in case & criminal law, confidentiality, forensic interviewing, and how to intake cases\/interview clients. After this initial training, the instructor and TAs work with students to create schedules and expectations for hours for the rest of the year.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n\n\n Academic credit for the SLS program is awarded via CAS 2990 C. Each student may receive 3 elective academic credits per semester for their participation. If the student wishes to count this course toward their major or minor, they may contact their department chairperson to obtain permission for a degree audit exception.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n\n\n Interns will be expected to complete 6-8 hours per week, totaling 240 hours over the academic year. This aligns with CAS’s Credit Policy and will easily be achieved by completing all required coursework and office hours.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Interns apply in the spring semester for the following academic year. Applications are reviewed and the best qualified candidates are invited for an interview. The application process is quite selective. Interns will need strong interpersonal skills, and high aptitudes for both written and oral work are a plus. The program typically admits juniors and seniors though students of all years are invited to apply. No prior knowledge of the law is necessary.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Please email Legal@uvm.edu to express interest in the program and to apply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are operating on a completely remote basis for the Spring 2026 semester. Please see our office hours below, and click here<\/a> to join the virtual office hours <\/strong>on Teams. You can also access our Teams link and more information via this link: https:\/\/linktr.ee\/uvmsls<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The areas of law SLS specializes in include landlord\/tenant matters, criminal law, civil law, consumer fraud, academic dishonesty, and the academic disciplinary process. We maintain a staff of 15-20 students per semester. Legal advice is provided free of charge to all UVM students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students are well trained to decline to give legal advice and are prepared to give referrals if the legal issue is outside the scope of what the attorneys can provide\u2014i.e. no student v. student or Title IX cases. Most cases seen by the program are landlord-tenant or student conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Student Legal Services represents all students equally, we cannot assist in any cases involving a student with a claim against another student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No students are legally representing clients\u2014they are only relaying legal advice from licensed attorneys and\/or observing legal advice being given. Students offer consultations and assistance, however, SLS does not provide the same services a paid attorney would. Interns, faculty, or the consulting attorney will refer clients to a local attorney to fulfill these needs if that is what is required.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Faculty Mentor<\/p> Leonard Milligan is a Partner at\u00a0Milligan Rona Duran & King LLC<\/a>\u00a0in Boston and teaches the Student Legal Services course for UVM. He is also an instructor at Northeastern University School of Law and Harvard Law School. Len is a UVM alum (’00, B.A. Economics & Philosophy) and earned his JD from New England Law | Boston.<\/p> Email Len >><\/a><\/p><\/div> Consulting Attorney <\/p> David F. Silver is a trial attorney with 42 years experience.\u00a0He joined the Bennington law firm of Barr Sternberg Moss Silver & Munson as a partner in 1992. He is Board Certified in Criminal Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (www.nbtanet.org).<\/a> His law practice concentrates on criminal defense and plaintiff\u2019s personal injury litigation in the state and federal courts. Consulting Attorney <\/p> Al is a shareholding partner at Barr, Sternberg, Moss, Silver & Munson, P.C., a full-service litigation firm based in Bennington, Vermont. Many of Al’s cases are personal injury claims on behalf of plaintiffs. Al also regularly practices appellate practice contract litigation, contract drafting, secured transactions, professional licensing defense, and construction disputes. Before practicing, Al clerked for the late Honorable Kathy C. Qasim in the New Jersey Superior Court\u2019s Chancery Division. Al is also a director of SPEAK, Inc., a 501(c)(3) he co-founded during his time at Vermont Law School. SPEAK provides debate and public speaking workshops for Vermonters, primarily incarcerated individuals, with the goal of education and restorative justice. SPEAK volunteers have often included Lawrence Debate Union students at UVM.<\/p><\/div> Still have questions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Email cas.discovery@uvm.edu<\/a> — our team would be happy to assist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>The Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tasks & Responsibilities Outside of Class<\/summary>
Participation Guidelines<\/summary>
Credit Information<\/summary>
Hours<\/summary>
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<\/figure>Client Information (Do you need legal advice?)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Office Hours (note: within the timeframes listed below, we follow the UVM class schedule for each session):<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Types of cases handled:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Policies on Representation: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nMeet our team:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/site.uvm.edu\/cas-experiential-learning\/files\/2024\/05\/leonard-e-milligan-iii.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div><\/div>Len Milligan<\/h2>
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<\/figure><\/div><\/div>David F. Silver<\/h2>
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David graduated with honors from Cardozo Law School in 1983. After graduating from law school, he worked as a public defender with The Legal Aid Society of New York in the Bronx office before moving on to become a public defender in the federal system as a staff attorney for the Federal Division, Southern District of New York, of the Legal Aid Society of the City of New York from 1987-1990. After moving to Vermont with his family in 1990, David served as a Bennington County Public Defender for two years. \u00a0
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David is a Director of the Vermont Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Vermont Association of Justice.
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From 1986 through 2013, David was a member of the faculty of the Cardozo School of Law Intensive Trial Advocacy Program.<\/p><\/div><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/site.uvm.edu\/cas-experiential-learning\/files\/2026\/03\/Al-Dean.png\")
<\/figure><\/div><\/div>Al Dean<\/h2>
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