Outside of the Boyd Law Building at Iowa Law
About the Federal Criminal Defense Clinic (FCDC)
In the Federal Criminal Defense Clinic (FCDC), students represent indigent people charged with federal crimes in the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Iowa, as well as in various courts of appeals across the nation. The FCDC is one of only two trial-level federal criminal defense clinics in the nation.
Functioning much like a mini-federal public defenders’ office, the FCDC takes court-appointed cases and provides representation from the initial charge through the case’s completion, no matter the stage. In addition to federal trial- and appellate-level work, the FCDC’s Decarceration Project focuses on sentencing-reduction litigation under 18 U.S.C. § 3582 and 28 U.S.C. § 2241, as well as Executive Clemency. The goal is to seek the release of people who are serving inordinately long terms of imprisonment, regardless of their crimes.
The Federal Criminal Defense Clinic is directed by Professor Alison Guernsey.
Prospective clients
The Federal Criminal Defense Clinic focuses on defending people charged with crimes in the federal courts. Most of the Clinic’s cases are court appointments, which means that you cannot retain the Clinic to defend you.
The FCDC will consider representing people with federal criminal matters where there is no right to counsel. Some of these types of cases include compassionate release, complaints about the denial of earned time credits, motions for early termination of supervised release, and sentence commutations/clemency.
On occasion, the FCDC will represent an individual in an Iowa-based commutation or rights-restoration application.
The FCDC does not defend individuals facing criminal charges in Iowa or other state courts at either the trial- or appellate-levels.
"There is so much more to being a lawyer than reading cases—lawyers need to counsel clients, collaborate with other lawyers, and know the rules of professional conduct and the local rules where they practice. In clinic, you get first-hand experience doing these things. And, while gaining these skills, you get to work with real clients and have a positive impact in their lives."
Information for students
Application & Prerequisites
The FCDC doesn’t have any prerequisites. However, students who have completed Evidence and Trial Advocacy may given preference in the application process.
Because of the potential for conflicts of interest, summer experience at the U.S. Attorneys’ Office in the Southern or Northern District of Iowa may prevent students from enrolling in FCDC.