Public Interest Law Seminar

Catalog description

2L, 3L, and 4L students may enroll in the Public Interest Law Seminar for 1-2 credits. The seminar is a survey of social justice issues, including mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex; inequities relating to education, the environment, health care, and housing; economic justice and labor rights; voting rights and public participation; and migration and immigration, among other topics. Additionally, the course examines how the topics discussed impact communities and intersect with various social identities and systems of oppression. The Public Interest Law Seminar is required to obtain a Public Interest and Social Justice Certificate. At the time of enrollment in the Seminar, students shall have completed or be in the process of completing the 30 required volunteer service hours. In addition, at the time of enrollment in the Seminar, students shall have completed or be in the process of completing a clinical program, practicum, or externship. During the Seminar, students will either write a publishable article on a public interest topic or complete a project related to the public interest. The length of the paper or hours committed to the project will depend on whether the student is enrolled for 1 or 2 credits.