Assistant Clinical Professor
Supervisor, Youth Advocacy Clinic

Professor Patricia Harrison serves as the director of the Child Advocacy Clinic at the SLU LAW Legal Clinics, where she oversees students who assist with juvenile delinquency matters, serve as guardians ad litem for abused and neglected children and represent children in special education cases. Under Professor Harrison’s director, the Child Advocacy Clinic handled more than 100 cases in 2008.

Professor Harrison received a bachelor’s degree from Saint Louis University and she went on to earn a J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. After graduation, she worked in Kansas City as an appellate attorney, serving as lead counsel on appeals and post conviction relief motions, and as a trial attorney, handling complex felony cases.

Prof. Harrison has worked for the Missouri State Public Defender System for more than nine years, representing the accused in trial, appeals, post conviction relief and juvenile advocacy. From 2000 to 2002, she served as the director of the Youth Advocacy Unit for the Missouri State Public Defender’s Office while managing a trial caseload. She then went on to work as a volunteer guardian ad litem and as a staff attorney and a for St. Louis City CASA.

Professor Harrison ventured into private practice in 2003, concentrating on representing parents of children removed from their families due to neglect allegations, guardianships and termination of parental rights.

She joined the SLU LAW faculty in 2006 to direct the Child Advocacy Clinic. Professor Harrison teaches Juvenile Law, Civil Advocacy and Client Counseling, which includes organizing the law school’s client counseling competition and coaching the team in the regional competition.