Rule 3-701 Purpose

This rule lets law students who are close to finishing school get real hands-on experience practicing law before they graduate. Instead of only learning from textbooks and classroom lectures, they get to work on actual cases under the guidance of a licensed attorney.

The idea is simple: students learn best by doing. This rule gives them a safe way to practice legal skills, like talking with clients or handling parts of a case, while they still have supervision and support. It bridges the gap between studying law and actually working as a lawyer.

For the public, this means some of the legal help you get from these programs might come from a student instead of a fully licensed attorney. But that student is being watched over and guided by a licensed lawyer, so there is still oversight and accountability throughout the process.