i am from california and would like to know if there are such things as attorney interns or something like that....like law students that will take on cases just for the experience or maybe one that if they believed it would benefit them or the party involved, would take on the case in hopes there would be a payoff? See, i have an accident case that i was convinced into filling jointly with the other parties involved. I now know that i should have and could have filed my own separate claim and i do want to do so .... i just dont have the money up front to put out or the knowledge necessary to represent myself..... i dont think i do anyway..i thought it would be helpful if there were student lawyers that work on these kinds of cases ..... any info on something like this here in the state of california will be helpful and much appreciated !thanx!
2007-09-06 06:04:26 · 3 answers · asked by ohmygodimhot 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
If you haven't passed the bar and been admitted to the bar, you don't get to practice law. You could act as your own attorney, but being a law student doesn't make you any more qualified than say, me. Law firms do have clerks that work like during summers and get experience doing grunt work that way. If you think you have a case, hire an attorney and volunteer to help out and see what they say.
2007-09-06 06:12:20 · answer #1 · answered by Flatpaw 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, law students can represent you as long as they are working with a licensed attorney as co-counsel for that case. But to answer your question, if this is a personal injury claim, most attorneys will take it on as contingency, meaning you don't pay for attorney fees unless they win and it comes out of the award of settlement. If you are the one getting sued though, then yes you will probably have to pay for an attorney. You wouldn't be able to just hire a law student, but if you call the different law schools in your area, they usually have clinics where 3L students work with licensed law professors and help represent people pro bono.
2007-09-06 06:17:08 · answer #2 · answered by Eisbär 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, you may only practice law if you have passed the bar.
You do not need money to bring a lawsuit for damages. The attorney will work on contingency ( meaning they only get paid if they win, and they will get 40% of the claim). They wont take your case if they think that you have little chance to win, or that the sum will be too small to cover their costs.
2007-09-06 06:14:48 · answer #3 · answered by patrick 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋