LAW 0713:
Small Claims Mediation Clinic
Spring 2024 • Section S21
• CRN 27456
Course Description
Students who have successfully completed the Philadelphia Housing Court Clinic are eligible to participate in the Small Claims Mediation Clinic. During the course of the semester, students serve as official court mediators for a variety of civil cases which fall within the jurisdiction of the Municipal Court of Philadelphia. Cases will be assigned prior to the mediation date to ensure that the relevant substantive law may be discussed with the instructors. These substantive areas include consumer and real estate transactions, contract and performance of service issues, property damage, and debt collection cases. Students will also have the opportunity to mediate minor criminal cases (private criminal complaints) during this clinical. Necessary training on these cases will be provided. Students are expected to become familiar with the court procedures involved in the handling of mediation cases. Instructors will be available for individualized case consultation, review and analysis both before and after the mediation sessions. Because of the nature and scheduling of these cases, some students will be required to serve as mediators on mornings or afternoons other than Friday. Regardless of the sessions when students are assigned cases to mediate, several Friday afternoon group sessions will be required. Students who have not completed the Housing Court Clinical will not be permitted to take the Small Claims Mediation Clinical under any circumstances.
Schedule
| Day/Time | Location | Note |
|---|---|---|
| F 9:00 AM-5:00 PM | TBA | Full day Fridays for the first two weeks. |
Additional Time Requirements
Full day Fridays for the first two weeks at the Philadelphia Municipal Court (1339 Chestnut Street). Students will be advised of additional classes scheduled during the remainder of the semester. After the first two weeks, students will mediate cases and must be available for two mediation sessions per week. Sessions are scheduled throughout the day and students will be required to mediate at different sessions each week. Students must complete a minimum of 10 hours each week of the semester of experiential work, classroom learning, or out of class assignments.
Registration Info
Registration Notes
Offered in Spring only. Because completion of the Philadelphia Housing Court clinical is required, enrollment is limited to those students who have taken the prerequisite either during the previous Spring or the current Fall semester.
Pre-Requisites
You must have completed the following courses before enrolling in this course:
- LAW 0731 (Housing Mediation Clinic)
Book List/Materials
No book purchases are required or recommended for this course.