Requirements to apply as Student Practitioner under SJC Rule 3:03
Pursuant of the rules and regulations of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, a senior level law student (upper-level student) enrolled at an accredited law school, who has successfully completed or is enrolled in Evidence and/or Trial practice may apply as a student practitioner under Supreme Court rule 3:03, with written approval by the law school.
If you are a 2L, you must:
- Be enrolled in or have completed Evidence or Trial Practice;
- Have character, legal ability and training attested to by the Dean of Students/Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs;
- Be participating in a clinic or co-op designated for civil proceedings on behalf of indigent parties; and,
- Be supervised by a member of the bar of the Commonwealth assigned by the Committee for Public Counsel Services or employed by a non-profit program of legal aid, legal assistance or defense or a law school clinical instruction program.
If you are a 3L student, you must:
- Be enrolled in or have completed Evidence or Trial Practice;
- Have character, legal ability and training attested to by the Dean of Students/Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs;
- Be seeking certification at least three (3) months prior to graduation;
- Be participating in a clinic or co-op designated for criminal or civil proceedings on behalf of indigent parties; and,
- Be supervised by a member of the bar of the Commonwealth assigned by the Committee for Public Counsel Services or employed by a non-profit program of legal aid, legal assistance or defense or a law school clinical instruction program.
If you meet the requirements listed above and this is your first time applying for rule 3:03 certification, please submit the Rule 3:03 Student Practitioner Initial Request form to ASA at lawstudentaffairs@northeastern.edu. Please review the important information below before completing the form:
- Please list the Dean of Students and Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, Brian Carlisle, on the line that says “Dean” on the form.
- A “Senior Law Student” generally means a 3L and a “Next to Last Year Law Student” means a 2L.
- If you are a 2L student completing the form, please list “Law School Clinical Program” on the line, “For what purpose will you use this certification?” as well as checking the “Law School Clinical Instructor” circle in the Supervising Attorney section of the form
Clinics
If you are applying as a student practitioner for a NUSL clinic, please work with your clinic director to complete Rule 3:03 Student Practitioner Initial Request form. The clinic director will review the forms and send them directly to ASA for review for all students participating in your clinic.
Rule 3:03 Student Practitioner Amendment Form
If you have already been approved in a prior semester to be a student practitioner under rule 3:03 and are applying again, please complete the Rule 3:03 Student Practitioner Amendment form. Once complete, please submit these forms directly to the Massachusetts SJC in consultation with the supervising attorney from your co-op or experiential opportunity.