The Federal Legislation & Administrative Clinic (FLAC) trains lawyers to practice in and advocate to Congress and the Executive Branch, with special emphasis on advising senior leaders.

Some aspects of these practice environments are distinct. Article I (congressional) and Article II (administrative) legal processes produce law and policy under rules and procedures that are different from Article III (judicial) legal process. Lawyers in the Article I and II branches must be as comfortable with non-lawyer principals and informal practice environments as they are with lawyer supervisors and formal proceedings. They must provide written and oral briefings and advocacy under timelines far shorter than a typical court filing deadline or oral argument. And, they must think through what the law could or should be, not just what it is or was at the time a case or controversy arose.

Through classroom instruction, intensive exercises, and client work, the FLAC trains lawyers to be ready to practice effectively on day one of a job in Congress, the Executive Branch, or advocacy community.

Skills honed in the FLAC are fully transferrable to other practice environments.

The FLAC teaches lawyers to write and speak both precisely and concisely. The Clinic trains lawyers to analyze fully the legal, process, policy, political, and personality aspects of their client’s or principal’s options, preferences, and obligations. The FLAC also emphasizes self-reflective lawyering, and practicing with integrity despite serious time and personality pressures.

Creating Legislative Lawyers

Established in 1993, the Clinic is a one semester program designed to teach students how to become effective "legislative lawyers." A "legislative lawyer" is a person who is trained to:

• recognize and assess legal and political issues in pending legislation;
• perform the background research necessary to address legal and political issues;
• develop creative solutions to problems posed by legal and policy concerns;
• present such solutions in clear and persuasive oral and written forms; and
• engage in the negotiations necessary to ensure the adoption of legislative solutions.

The Clinic's Dual Mission

We undertake projects that advance the public interest and provide quality representation to our non-profit clients.  We provide Georgetown law students with the training, supervision, and field experience necessary for them to become effective legislative lawyers.

The Clinic's Substantive Focus

The Clinic’s primary focus is national security.  In fall 2010, the Clinic worked in support of ratification of the New START nuclear arms control treaty with Russia.  In the wake of New START's ratification, the FLAC is working with its client, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, to develop innovative administrative and treaty approaches to reducing threats associated with tactical nuclear weapons. The Clinic's other major national security project is outlining a new law/policy architecture for U.S. cybersecurity efforts. Here, the FLAC's client is the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Additionally, the Clinic is leading a coalition working to pass legislation creating a law clerk program in Congress analogous to the judicial law clerk program. Please visit the Congressional Clerkship Initiative website at http://www.congressionalclerkship.com.