Apart from their assigned mod courses, 1L students may only enroll in courses offered as 1L electives. A complete list of these courses can be found on the 1L Elective Listings page. 1L students must use the 1L class number listed on the course description when enrolling.
282.2 sec. 001 - Gender-Based Violence Practicum Seminar (Spring 2026)
Instructor: Mallika Kaur (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only | profile)
View all teaching evaluations for this course - degree students only
Units: 1
Grading Designation: Credit Only
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
M 2:10 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: TBA
From January 12, 2026
To April 28, 2026
Course End: April 28, 2026
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 15
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 18
As of: 02/11 10:27 AM
It is almost certain that during their careers, all attorneys will– either knowingly or unknowingly–work with someone victimized by or someone accused of Intimate Partner/Domestic Violence (DV) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Since millions of people in the U.S. report being victimized by DV and GBV each year, the legal needs of victim-survivors are as diverse as our population.
The need for our students’ work on the pervasive legal issues facing survivors and the agencies that provide them services is higher than ever. Through this Practicum, students gain real-time training and experience in various issues at the intersection of law and various asymmetries: gender, race, immigration, state’s rights, policing, restorative justice, and more.
The 2-unit Practicum is accompanied by a 1-unit classroom seminar taught by Mallika Kaur. JD and LLM students are welcome to reach out with questions about the below-listed projects.
Students join the Practicum to develop first-hand insight into DV and GBV in their chosen legal area. Students also benefit from the percolation of ideas and discussions in the seminar, where fellow students will bring their learning (cognitive, emotional, technical, and philosophical) from working on other diverse projects.
The Practicum is open to any student, regardless of past or future goals and experiences.
Potential 2026 Practicum Projects
(The needs will shift and the exact projects will be solidified closer to Spring semester 2026)
Note: the range of projects includes direct client-facing work as well as more removed research work, to account for the diversity of student interest/comfort/career goals.
*Brief Bank Development: A DV organization needs student assistance in creating brief banks to help their volunteer family law attorneys efficiently draft pleadings.
*Support for Legal Aid Clinics: Student team will work with individual survivors in preparing restraining orders, as well as identify and respond to general trends/needs they note in the clinic.
*Legislative Research & Advocacy: The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV) will engage a student team in preparing Committee Review Sheets for the Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committees considering new legislation to address DV and GBV.
*Training Support: Students will co-develop training materials and handouts for an organization supporting indigent and immigrant survivors facing heightened legal challenges.
*Criminalized Survivors – Public Defender Collaboration: Students will assist with DV evaluations of victim-survivors who are currently defendants (i.e., criminalized defendants)
*Appellate research and writing: Attorneys at the state’s only family law appellate agency would seek research briefs/assistance with writs as they bring legal challenges that define family law/tort practice in California.
*Amicus Briefs on Migrant Survivors’ Rights: A migrants’ rights group requires support in drafting amicus briefs related to changes in legal remedies for gender-based violence survivors.
Please contact mallikakaur@law.berkeley.edu for questions or project proposals.
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Requirements Satisfaction:
Units from this class may count towards the J.D. Experiential Requirement and the J.D. Race and Law Requirement. |
Exam Notes: (None) Series of papers or assignments throughout the semester
(Subject to change by faculty member only through the first two weeks of instruction)
Course Category: Social Justice and Public Interest
This course is listed in the following sub-categories:
Practicums
Race and Law
If you are the instructor or their FSU, you may add a file like a syllabus or a first assignment to this page.
Readers:
No reader.
Books:
Instructor has indicated that no books will be assigned.