A unique aspect of Belmont Law's curriculum is the number of practical experience opportunities afforded to our students. Through practical experiences, Belmont Law students become proficient in the actual practice of law to help prepare them for employment opportunities.
Practicum Courses
At Belmont Law, our practicum courses are an integral part of the curriculum. Each semester, every Belmont Law student is required to enroll in a practicum course, providing consistent opportunities to develop practical lawyering skills. These courses are intentionally designed to be small, typically 20 students or fewer, fostering an environment where students can engage deeply with the material and receive personalized guidance from their instructors.
Practicum courses can be taken in a variety of legal topics including alternative dispute resolution, appellate practice, business planning, client interviewing, counseling and communication, contract drafting, criminal procedure, entertainment law, estate planning, health law, law office management, medical malpractice, negotiation, pretrial litigation, products liability, real estate transactions and trial advocacy. Our practicum offerings span a wide range of legal disciplines, allowing students to explore and specialize in areas that align with their career goals and interests.
Belmont students have the opportunity to participate in summer externships, in-semester field placements, and clinical legal education through Belmont Law’s Experiential Learning Program. Students may work in a judge’s chambers, governmental agency, public interest organization or for in-house counsel under the direct supervision of a licensed attorney for class credit.
Belmont students have completed field placements with over 200 different organizations worldwide, including the Tennessee Supreme Court, U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Tennessee Justice Center, The Innocence Project, the Nashville Predators, and numerous federal and state judges.
As part of our Experiential Learning Program, Belmont Law also offers hybrid clinical opportunities where students spend time both in the field and in the classroom. Those offerings include our Healthcare Justice Clinic, Criminal Law Field Clinic, and Poverty Law Field Clinic. The Program is under the direction of Kristi Arth, who serves as the Director of Experiential Learning.
Belmont Law offers routine pro bono legal clinics that allow students to apply the skills learned in the core curriculum to live client situations.
Throughout the semester, students can volunteer at expungement clinics, estate planning clinics, family law clinics, and more. Our pro bono clinics are designed to get students out of the classroom, working with volunteer attorneys, and helping our neighbors in need.
Participating in pro bono clinics nurtures a strong sense of social responsibility among students and serves as a bridge between education and community service, shaping compassionate and capable legal professionals.