Robert Savage, Esq.
The Investor Advocacy Clinic is a one-semester 5 graded credit clinic. As a Clinic student you will be primarily responsible for representing investors in various causes of action. The causes of action include (but are not limited to) negligence, unsuitability, misrepresentation, failure to supervise, unauthorized trading, churning. You will be representing investors from the initial intake interview through the final hearing. On occasion there may be need to confirm an award or move to vacate an award in civil court.
The skills you will learn including interviewing clients and witnesses, undertaking a full-scale investigation of the client’s situation, doing damages analysis, drafting all pleadings related to a case, and performing legal research to support your findings. Your experience may include drafting and/or arguing various motions, preparing for and participating in discovery matters as well as all pre-hearing conferences. Depending on the case you may gain the experience of working with various damages and supervisory experts who would be working with the IAC on arbitration matters. As a member of the IAC Team you will strive to develop essential lawyering skills, substantive legal knowledge, and real-world experience with real clients. Clinic students will at all times be supervised by the supervising attorney.
- Credits: 5 graded credit
- Time Commitment: The time commitment averages 17 hours a week, including case work, supervision, and the seminar though at times may require more effort depending on the work load.
- Recommended: Professional Responsibility
- Selection Criteria:
1. Fourth-year part time students and Third-year full time students.
2. Second-year full-time students.
- Certified Legal Intern Certification Required: No, but recommended.
For Potential Clients:
In the event that individual investors have a dispute with a stockbroker, they often fare better when represented by an attorney with experience in securities arbitration. Arbitration is the most widely used means of resolving disputes in the securities industry. In most cases, attorneys represent all the parties on both sides of a dispute. However, investors with relatively modest claims often cannot find an attorney to represent them on a contingency basis and they often cannot afford the hourly rate for representation.
This program aims to fill the gap in legal representation for investors. These clinics will enable supervised law students to provide legal assistance and other advice to investors at little or no cost.
Please visit the Investor Advocacy Clinic’s Blog at: http://fiuinvestorclinic.wordpress.com/