Writing and Advocacy. The two courses employ coordinated, real-life exercises. In Basic Legal Research, students learn to use both print and computer-assisted legal research tools. Students analyze a factual situation in order to develop a legal research strategy and learn how to locate and use secondary sources, case law, statutory and legislative history material, and administrative regulations. In Legal Writing and Advocacy, students develop skills through a series of intensive writing exercises culminating in an oral argument. In Introduction to Lawyering Skills, students learn skills and techniques essential to the pretrial phase of a civil or criminal lawsuit. The course involves simulated experiences, including role-playing and videotaping, to provide immediacy of experience and direct feedback. Clinics and Experiential Education Various clinical experiences are offered each semester at the Clinical Law Center on the DeKalb campus and the Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic in Rockford, Illinois. In addition, in 2013 the College of Law began a clinical partnership with Hesed House and Aunt Martha's Health Center in Aurora, Illinois that focuses on the legal issues that may contribute to health problems in the area’s indigent population. At these clinics, students represent clients under the direction of well-qualified supervising attorneys. The clinical courses each have a classroom component in addition to the practice experience. They are taught by members of the College of Law faculty in conjunction with the supervising attorneys. These classes bring academic and practical worlds together, addressing a range of issues students experience in their cases, from honing legal skills, to exploring issues of substantive law and procedure, to considering real-world issues of professional responsibility and ethics. Clinical opportunities Civil Justice Clinic Criminal Defense Clinic Health Advocacy Clinic Prisoners' Rights Project The Prisoners' Rights Project was initiated in 2018 in partnership with the P. Michael Mahoney Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Over the course of two semesters, third-year students represent prisoners in federal court who have alleged that their constitutional rights have been violated. Each case is chosen with the expectation that it will culminate in a federal jury trial where the students will be lead counsel. Public interest service In 2017, law.com recognized NIU College of Law as one of the top law schools for delivering graduates to public service careers. and in 2015 preLaw recognized NIU Law specifically in the category of best schools for prosecutors/public defenders. According to U.S. News & World Report, over one third