LAW-5090: Lawyering for Social Change

In this experiential course, students will explore the theory and practice of lawyering for social change. Building upon these lessons, they will work in teams to propose avenues for social change. Teams will select a local instance of a systemic ill—such as those involving environmental racism, homelessness, gentrification, education, the criminal justice system, immigration law, or access to justice, to name a few—to diagnose the cause and formulate three-layered strategies for advocacy. All students are expected to participate actively and to maintain a reflection journal. Regular feedback will be provided on in-class participation and the performance of lawyering tasks, such as interviewing, fact-gathering, document drafting, and negotiating.