Public Interest/Civil Rights/Civil Liberties

This course provides a study of the institution of judicial review, the limitations on federal judicial power, and the constitutional roles of the legislative and executive branches. Due process and individual rights under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are also reviewed.

America has become a carceral state. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 2.3 million individuals were held in local, state, or federal jails and prisons. We incarcerate a larger percentage of our population than any other nation. Think tanks like the Pew Center on the States observed in a 2008 report that such explosive rates of imprisonment (approximately one in one hundred adults) cannot be sustained because it fails to prevent crime while simultaneously it causes a crippling drain on ever-decreasing public resources.

This course is designed as a comprehensive overview of the legal issues related to abuse and neglect of children, and termination of parental rights. The course will examine the philosophical underpinnings of the foster care system and will feature speakers ranging from experts in the field to former foster youth. This course is focused on families who find themselves subject to government intervention due to allegations of abuse and neglect.

This course will highlight and focus on the essential, but often overlooked, role of crimes as they relate to immigration law. In particular, the course will cover the immigration consequences of criminal convictions for the undocumented hoping to acquire legal status, prospective immigrants, visitors, and lawful permanent residents. The course is designed for any student who ever intends to practice immigration or criminal law.

Students who have successfully completed the Street Law Clinic can continue to hone their lawyering and professionalism skills through teaching for a second semester at a location that has challenging programming and student needs. In addition, students will assist with observing and supervising current Street Law Clinic students at their school sites, help with program development, support relationship building at schools and juvenile centers, and help with writing new lessons. Students will not participate in the weekly classroom component but may teach one class to current students.

Students who have successfully completed the Children's Rights Clinic can continue to hone their lawyering skills through direct representation of children and families in school discipline and special education matters. Students will not participate in the weekly Children's Rights Clinic classroom component; rather, they will work solely on clinic cases. The course may be taken for 1 to 3 units upon approval from the Director of the Children's Rights Clinic. Prerequisite: Children's Rights Clinic (680CR).