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All University of South Carolina system institutions will be closed through the end of the spring semester. Columbia campus virtual instruction will continue through the end of the Summer II semester (Aug 1). Details can be found on the coronavirus landing page.

School of Law

Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal Partnership (CHAMPS) Clinic

The CHAMPS Clinic is a collaboration of the School of Law, the USC School of Medicine, Prisma Health, PH-USC Medical Group, and South Carolina Legal Services. CHAMPS offers law students the opportunity to work on legal cases that impact children’s health.  Students work in collaboration with doctors, social workers, and other health professionals on their cases.

The CHAMPS Clinic provides students with the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary learning in the context of live-client legal cases.  Students take legal cases on behalf of low-income children and families referred from Prisma and PH-USC Medical Group.  These cases address the social determinants of clients’ health and include SSI, Medicaid, housing conditions, SNAP, and end of life planning matters.  Law students work collaboratively on their legal cases with doctors, social workers, and other health professionals.  Students also have opportunities to go to Prisma Children’s Hospital to learn from doctors how to understand clients’ patient records, attend patient rounds, discharge planning, and ethics conferences. In addition to case work, the course includes seminar component during which students will learn the doctrine, theory, lawyering skills, and policy relevant to their case work. 

 

Ross Heyl

Student Testimonial: Ross Heyl, Class of ’19

The clinical program was one of the most valuable experiences in my time at law school. Through the clinics, students learn the ‘between the lines’ legal skills that are not typically taught in the classroom. Skills like communicating with clients, arranging meetings, billing hours, creative problem solving with other attorneys, and balancing caseloads are all commonplace in legal practice. The clinical program allows students a chance to develop these skills while providing important legal services to real clients. The clinical program is an excellent opportunity to learn professional skills while applying the legal research, writing, and advocacy to real cases that can have a huge impact on a client's life. Joining the CHAMPs clinic was easily one of the best decisions I made in law school. 

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