Law school students nationwide are facing growing attacks in the courts and legislatures as legal clinics at the schools increasingly take on powerful interests that few other nonprofit groups have the resources to challenge. On Friday, lawmakers here debated a measure to cut money for the University of Maryland's law clinic if it does not provide details to the legislature about its clients, finances and cases. The measure, which is likely to be sent to the governor this week, comes in response to a suit filed in March by students accusing one of the state's largest employers, Perdue, of environmental violations -- the first effort in the state to hold a poultry company accountable for the environmental impact of its chicken suppliers. Law clinics at other universities -- from New Jersey to Michigan to Louisiana -- are facing similar challenges. And legal experts say the attacks jeopardize the work of the clinics, which not only train students with hands-on courtroom experience at more than 200 law schools but also have taken on more cases against companies and government agencies in recent years. 'We're seeing a very strong pushback from deep-pocket interests, and that pushback is creating a chilling effect on many clinics,' said Robert R. Kuehn, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, citing a recent survey he conducted that found that more than a third of faculty members at legal clinics expressed fears about university or state reaction to their casework and that a sixth said they had turned down unpopular clients because of these concerns. The debate has raised larger questions about academic freedom at state-financed law schools and the role lawmakers should have over decisions at those schools. In Louisiana, lawmakers are considering a bill forbidding law students at clinics that receive any public money from suing government agencies, companies or individuals for damages unless exempted by the Legislature. It is a response to a suit brought by the Tulane Law School clinic on behalf of an environmental group against federal and state environmental regulators, seeking greater enforcement of air quality standards in the Baton Rouge area. In some states, the challenges may redefine the parameters of attorney-client privilege and the role that law students can play in cases. In March, a Michigan prosecutor called University of Michigan Law School students to testify against a man they have been working to exonerate from criminal charges. 