Public Policy Practicum

Course and Clinic MAY be repeated for credit, 2^nd or 3^rd year students
Course: 2 credits per semester (Fall & Spring)

This course will involve law students working collaboratively with Professor Chiang and counsel at interested non-profits to seek law reform and address civil rights issues via public policy advocacy and complex civil litigation.  Students will work as full members of a legal team.  The class and the clinic may be taken jointly, or students enrolled in the class may opt to perform clinical work pro bono without enrolling in the clinic.

Course: Public Policy Practicum (2 cr./semester, graded, taught Fall & Spring Semesters). The classroom component of the clinic will focus on the application of theory to practice.  Students will engage with the relevant substantive law, discuss the strategies available to advocates seeking change, confront legal and ethical issues as they arise in their work, receive training on practical legal skills as needed, and reflect upon their experiences.  Students will be graded on a combination of participation and the completion of assignments for the clinical component.   There will be no final exam.  The course may be repeated for credit.

Placements: (1 – 3 cr./semester, P/F, offered Fall & Spring Semesters).

The clinical component will be supervised by Professor Chiang.  Acting as a small legal team, Professor Chiang and students will work in close cooperation with outside counsel on activities that may include interviewing witnesses, gathering and analyzing the relevant facts and law, conducting analysis of pending legislation, and drafting legal and public policy advocacy documents.  Although the clinical component is P/F, assignments undertaken for the clinical component will factor into grades assigned for the Public Policy Practicum course.

Faculty: Professor Emily Chiang

Application & Registration: Students may enroll in the course online. To enroll in the clinic, students must complete the Clinical Program Application Form and submit it with the required documents (résumé and short statement of interest).  Students may opt to perform clinical work pro bono without enrolling in the clinic.

Both the course and accompanying clinical component are repeatable for credit.

LAW 7844-001: Public Policy Practicum Class                                 Fall – Spring: Wednesdays, 3:15 – 5:15 pm