290A sec. 001 - Policy Advocacy Clinic Seminar (Fall 2024)
Instructor: Jeffrey Selbin (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only | profile)
Instructor: Devan Shea
View all teaching evaluations for this course - degree students only
Units: 2
Grading Designation: Credit Only
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
W 3:35 PM - 5:25 PM
Location: Law 141
From August 21, 2024
To November 20, 2024
Course End: November 20, 2024
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 4
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 12
As of: 04/29 12:30 PM
This is the seminar for the Policy Advocacy Clinic (https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/clinics/policy-advocacy-clinic/), an experiential learning course where teams of law and public policy students support community-led advocacy campaigns for racial and economic justice. The clinic’s approach is ground-up (informed by impacted people), problem-based (addressing pressing issues), and client-driven (accountable to community organizations).
Current clinic projects support campaigns to: (1) end criminal and juvenile system fees, (2) reimagine restitution, (3) reduce mass incarceration, and (4) hold police accountable for misconduct.
In the clinic, students learn substantive law and policy skills: you will interview clients and experts, conduct legal and social science research and analysis, consult stakeholders (community members, policy and advocacy organizations, public officials, academics), file public records requests, and participate in state and local change campaigns.
On behalf of clients and partners, students complete written assignments: you will draft legislation, rules, and policies; internal work product such as legal, policy, and fiscal memos; and external work product for public dissemination, such as fact sheets, policy briefs, research reports, and know your rights materials.
Students may also have the opportunity to hone their oral advocacy skills: you will prepare, moot, and deliver testimony and public comment to a variety of audiences, including city councils, county boards of supervisors, regulatory bodies, and state legislatures. Some projects may require clinic-funded travel within and outside of California.
The enrollment target is 10-12 JD (law) students and 10-12 MPP (public policy) students to work together on interdisciplinary project teams. Returning students may serve as senior mentors on teams. There are no prerequisites. Prior experience working for racial and economic justice may be taken into consideration, and the instructors and clinical program are committed to an equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist learning and practice environment.
Because of project demands, first-time clinic students may not enroll concurrently in another clinic, field placement, or internship. Enrollment in the seminar (2 units) and clinic (4-9 units, 16-36 hours/week) is by permission of the instructors. Interested students should apply here: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/php-programs/forms/clinics/clinical_application.php.
Attendance at the first class is mandatory for all currently enrolled and waitlisted students; any currently enrolled or waitlisted students who are not present on the first day of class (without prior permission of the instructor) will be dropped. The instructor will continue to take attendance throughout the add/drop period and anyone who moves off the waitlist into the class must continue to attend or have prior permission of the instructor in order not to be dropped.
Prerequisites:
The fieldwork component of the clinic (Law 295.5P) for a minimum of 4 units is a co-requisite.
Exam Notes: (None) Class requires a series of papers, assignments, or presentations throughout the semester
Course Category: Clinics
This course is listed in the following sub-categories:
Race and Law
Social Justice and Public Interest
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Readers:
No reader.
Books:
Instructor has indicated that no books will be assigned.