“The students did legal research and drafted documents that, given our county’s budget and resource limitations, we could not have completed without their help… They pushed our department years ahead.” — County official and Clinic client
The Economic Development Clinic (the “Clinic”) is located at the College of Law’s Boise campus, and is available to any third-year student who pursues the Boise track. The goal of the Clinic is to provide models for economically and environmentally sustainable development in urban and rural Idaho.
The Clinic’s only prerequisite is Professional Responsibility. Land Use Law and State & Local Government Law are recommended courses.
Clinic projects will vary from year to year; however, students can expect to learn about and gain practical experience with land use law, administrative law, state and local government law, and environmental law. Any student interested in working for local or state government, or representing corporate or other business interests before local and state government administrative agencies, would enjoy the Clinic.
Sample projects include:
- Advising a city and county on negotiating an area of city impact agreement;
- Advising an urban city on funding sources for redevelopment of a former industrial area;
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Advising a rural county on administrative enforcement procedures and drafting an administrative enforcement ordinance;
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Advising a rural county on development agreements related to a legacy of half-built foreclosed subdivisions; and
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Advising an urban city and local businesses in drafting an “exports initiative.”
Clinic clients thus far have typically been local governments in both urban and rural Idaho. In the future, clients may also include non-profit or business organizations involved in economic development.
Preference is for students to take the Clinic for both fall and spring semesters and for 2 – 3 credits each semester.
Clinic Contact Information
Interested students are encouraged to contact the Clinic’s director, Professor Stephen R. Miller, at millers@uidaho.edu