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Course Number: LAW 995; ULWR

Course Credits: 2

In this unique small seminar, students will build critical research and writing skills for legal practice, and gain a foundation in the wide-ranging access to justice issues that are increasingly relevant to both public interest and private sector legal practice, by drafting and presenting a compelling scholarly paper on an access to justice issue. Students will be free to choose any topic related to access to justice/social justice that may be addressed seriously in a scholarly paper during one semester. Papers produced must be at least 15-25 pages and can satisfy the JD upper level writing requirement if a 25 page paper is completed.  Along the way, students will receive highly individualized guidance and feedback from the Professor, and have the opportunity to brainstorm with special subject matter expert (SME) mentors. Students will also hear from guest speakers on access to justice issues relating to the intersection of social justice and technology, climate and other environmental justice, criminal justice, immigration, health law, and housing, to name just a few issue areas. The course will involve a combination of class discussions, special guest speakers, article readings, highly personalized writing feedback and instruction, and written and oral presentations. The expectation is that work produced in the workshop will be of a quality that could be refined for publication in a scholarly journal or other legal or social justice periodical, and/or could even serve as a basis for a public interest fellowship proposal, if the student so wishes. The semester will culminate in student presentations about their work to the class and special guests.