Legal Spanish for Social Justice

Catalog description

This course aims to enhance existing Spanish language skills within the sphere of legal practice: it introduces Spanish legal terminology in areas such as immigration, employment, and criminal law, and discusses differences between U.S. and Spanish-speaking countries' legal systems. Instruction is primarily in Spanish, requiring at least working proficiency, and provides some reviews of basic Spanish before moving into more complex grammatical structures within the legal context. The focus is on acquiring specialized vocabulary and developing the capacity to provide direct legal representation to Spanish-speaking clients. Students engage in simulated exercises to practice client interviews and document drafting in Spanish. The course aims to provide language services for limited and non-English speaking populations, with a focus on social justice goals, integrating Spanish language proficiency with legal practice and social justice, and preparing students to effectively serve Spanish-speaking communities. Taught in Spanish.