Rutgers Legal Clinics Covered by Open Records Laws, Court Rules

A New Jersey appeals court has ruled that legal clinics run by Rutgers University are covered by the state's open records law, The Star-Ledger reported. Rutgers, backed by other legal clinics affiliated with law schools, argued that the unique nature of law clinics should create an exception. But the appeals court disagreed. "It is uncontested that the clinic is affiliated with and part of the law school," the ruling said. "The clinic was created and is funded in part by the law school. Clinic attorneys are hired as part of the faculty of the law school and are retained or discharged by the law school. For purposes of [open records law], the clinic is indistinguishable from any other academic program offered by the law school."