Public Interest and Social Justice Practice
Certificate(s): Public Interest and Social Justice Law (List A)
Course Description:
The Public Interest Practice Seminar will provide an overview of the public interest problems confronting low income, multi-ethnic communities, including the availability of legal services (or the lack thereof). Throughout the semester, we will look at a variety of approaches to deal with public interest law problems such as litigation, legislation, media work, coalition building and community education and organizing. The Seminar will also offer some introductory training in lawyering skills including interviewing, counseling and fact and theory development and negotiation.
As part of the Seminar, each student will complete an oral and a written project trying to develop creative strategies for dealing with these or other problem areas in public interest law. Students are encouraged to work in groups of two on these projects. Potential project areas might include child abuse, civil rights, consumer law, domestic violence, education law, elderly law, employment law, environmental law, homelessness, housing, human rights, immigration law and juvenile rights. There is no final examination for this course, rather the class will be graded based on your Seminar participation and the oral and written components of your project. The requirements for the projects are included in the reading for the first class.
Class Notes:
The Public Interest Practice Seminar will provide an overview of the public interest problems confronting low income, multi-ethnic communities, including the availability of legal services (or the lack thereof). Throughout the semester, we will look at a variety of approaches to deal with public interest law problems such as litigation, legislation, media work, coalition building and community education and organizing. The Seminar will also offer some introductory training in lawyering skills including interviewing, counseling and fact and theory development and negotiation.
As part of the Seminar, each student will complete an oral and a written project trying to develop creative strategies for dealing with these or other problem areas in public interest law. Students are encouraged to work in groups of two on these projects. Potential project areas might include child abuse, civil rights, consumer law, domestic violence, education law, elderly law, employment law, environmental law, homelessness, housing, human rights, immigration law and juvenile rights. There is no final examination for this course, rather the class will be graded based on your Seminar participation and the oral and written components of your project. The requirements for the projects are included in the reading for the first class.
Limited enrollment. Students will be required to participate in learning activities outside the classroom: one extra class meeting at my home and three skills training sessions.
