Poverty Law & Advocacy

Poverty Law & Advocacy will explore how the poor are disadvantaged and subject to unfair treatment by the law and systems in place, particularly within the realm of income assistance, food insecurity, housing, education, healthcare, and the criminal justice system.  It will look at federal and state programs and policies that have been created to help families living in poverty and question whether these have been effective at reducing poverty. It will evaluate biases and look at legal solutions.  The course will also focus on advocacy in the legal system, how to leverage outcomes for poverty-stricken individuals and families, and the critical role that lawyers play.  It will encompass some skills-based activities by having students create and develop favorable policy and/or legal argument, to improve outcomes for fictitious client(s) living in poverty, based on the textbook, current federal and state law and policy, and classroom discussions.  The course is intended to be a mix of theory, law, and practical content, with an emphasis on reform and effective lawyering.