Suffolk University Law School’s clinical programs were ranked 14th in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s annual “2015 America’s Best Graduate Schools.”

The clinical programs have been ranked among the top 25 in the nation by U.S. News for seven straight years, a testament to the Law School’s tradition of training practice-ready lawyers.

Students get practical training in one or more of the 10 in-house clinics and four internship programs. These programs allow students to engage firsthand in all aspects of client representation–from intake to oral argument–under close supervision by the Law School’s clinical faculty.

“This is great acknowledgement of the depth and breadth of Suffolk Law’s skills programs that combine traditional legal training with in-depth preparation for practice in the real world,” said Law School Dean Camille A. Nelson.

“From criminal defense to trademark applications, students in the clinics are put in the role of a lawyer while they are still in law school,” said Clinical Programs Director Ragini Shah. “We are pleased that U.S. News and our peers recognize that our clinical students graduate with the practical experience and training to hit the ground running.”

Services provided by students in the clinics include:

• Defending small businesses against trademark bullying in the Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship Clinic; in recent cases, students have faced off against large corporations–Nautica and Monster Energy Drink
• Appearing on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or defendants in criminal proceedings in the Suffolk Defenders and Suffolk Prosecutors programs
• Collaborating with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to develop the tribe’s new rules of appellate procedure in the Indian Law and Indigenous Peoples Clinic
• Designing tests and volunteering as testers to ensure that Boston’s fair housing laws are being enforced in the Housing Discrimination Testing Program