D.C. Super. Ct. Fam. Gen. R. M

(a) Practice.

(1) Any law student admitted to the limited practice of law pursuant to Rule 48 of the

rules of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and certified and registered as therein

required, may engage in the limited practice of law in the Superior Court of the District of

Columbia on behalf of any indigent person in the Family Court, subject to the following

provisions.

(A) Delinquency proceedings. A certified law student may enter an appearance on

behalf of a child who is alleged to be a delinquent except in those cases where the

allegation of delinquency charges murder, forcible rape, burglary in the first degree,

robbery while armed, or assault with intent to commit any such offense, provided the child

or parent has consented in writing to the appearance and a "supervising lawyer", as

hereinafter defined, has approved such action and also entered an appearance.

(B) Persons in need of supervision proceedings. A certified law student may enter

an appearance on behalf of a child who is alleged to be a person in need of supervision,

provided the child has consented in writing to that appearance and a supervising lawyer

has approved such action and also entered an appearance.

(C) Neglect proceedings.

(i) Children. A certified law student may enter an appearance on behalf of a child

who is alleged to be neglected, provided the supervising lawyer shall obtain the

appointment as guardian ad litem and consent to the representation of the minor child by

the certified law student.

(ii) Adults. A certified law student may enter an appearance on behalf of any

adult party who has consented to that appearance, provided a supervising lawyer has

approved such action and also entered an appearance.

(D) Mental habilitation proceedings. A certified law student may represent a

respondent or petitioner if appointed or approved by a magistrate judge or the Court,

provided the party has consented in writing to such representation and a supervising

lawyer has also entered an appearance in the proceeding.

(E) Mental health proceedings. A certified law student may represent a respondent

or petitioner if appointed or approved by a magistrate judge or the Court, provided the

party has consented in writing to such representation and a supervising lawyer has also

entered an appearance in the proceeding.

(F) Domestic relations proceedings. A certified law student may enter an

appearance on behalf of a party in any domestic relations action, provided the party has

consented in writing to that appearance and a supervising lawyer has approved such

action and also entered an appearance.

(2) Any law student eligible under these rules may also enter an appearance in any

Family Court matter, except delinquency cases charging murder, forcible rape, burglary in

the first degree, robbery while armed, or assault with intent to commit any such offense, on

behalf of the District of Columbia with the written approval of the Office of the Attorney

General, or an authorized representative, and the supervising lawyer.

(3) In each case, the written consent and approval referred to above shall be filed in the

record of the case.

(4) No student may enter an appearance where such representation would generally be

undertaken by a member of the Bar on a retained basis as may be determined by the

Court at any point in the litigation.

(b) Requirements and limitations.

(1) The law student must be enrolled in a clinical program. A clinical program for

purposes of this Rule shall be a law school program for credit of at least 4 semester hours

held under the direction of a full-time faculty member of such law school, or an adjunct

professor for a consortium of law schools, whose primary duty is the conduct of such

programs in which a law student obtains practical experience in the operation of the

District of Columbia legal system by participating in cases and matters pending before the

legal system by participating in cases and matters pending before the courts or

administrative tribunals. A student need not be so enrolled if that student has satisfactorily

completed a clinical program and is continuing in the representation of a program's client.

(2) The law student must be registered and certified by the Admissions Committee of

the District of Columbia Court of Appeals as eligible to engage in the limited practice of law

as authorized by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals General Rule 48.

(3) Certified law students participating in the representation of the government or any

individual litigant shall not schedule more than 1 trial for any single date except on notice

to and with permission of the Court.

(c) Supervision. The "supervising lawyer" referred to above in this Rule shall:

(1) Be a lawyer whose service as a supervising lawyer for the clinical program is

approved by the law school by which the law student is enrolled and who is an active

practitioner of law in this Court.

(2) Assume full responsibility for guiding the student's work in any pending case or

matter or any case-related activity in which he or she participates, and for supervising the

quality of the student's work.

(3) Assist the student in his or her participation to the extent necessary in the

supervising lawyer's professional judgment to ensure that the student participation is

effective on behalf of the indigent person or government represented.

(4) Sign each pleading, memorandum, or other document filed by the student, and

appear with the student at each court appearance, except that a supervisor need not be

present for a non-adversary matter so long as he or she is available to the Court within

one-half hour after such supervisor's presence is requested by the Court.

(5) Not schedule more than 3 cases for trial on any given day for law students being

supervised by him or her.

(6) No fee shall be paid to any supervising lawyer or law student under this Rule. The

Court shall be empowered, however, to permit clinical programs to receive fees, costs and

penalties prescribed by law, so long as original eligibility requirements for representation

are enforced.