Public Interest Certificate

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The Public Interest Certificate is intended for students who plan to spend a significant part of their careers in the nonprofit or government (including criminal) sectors. It serves at least three functions. First, it signals to future employers that the student has made a significant commitment to acquiring the substantive knowledge, practical skills and familiarity with the landscape of nonprofit and government law, which will prepare him or her for a successful career in these sectors. Second, the certificate assists students in discerning and following a law school path that will provide the fundamentals they need for a career in nonprofit or government law, and exposes them to a range of substantive law areas, practitioners and experiences in the public interest sector. Third, the certificate allows the Law School to affirm and showcase its support for public interest law and its offerings for students and potential students interested in this career path.

Clinical and Practicum Units

Students must complete at least one semester of work in one of the following Gould clinics or practicums. In the event a student is unable to gain entry into one of the listed clinics or practicums, an externship for at least 3 units with a qualifying organization shall fulfill this requirement.

LAW 630 Mediation Clinic I Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 631 Mediation Clinic II Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 711 Access to Justice Practicum Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 776 Immigration Clinic I Units: 2, 3, 4, 5
LAW 781 Externship I Units: 2, 4, 10, 12
LAW 782 Externship II Units: 2, 4, 10, 12
LAW 796 Immigration Clinic II Units: 2, 3, 4, 5
LAW 808 Medical-Legal Community Partnership Seminar and Practicum Units: 1, 2, 3, 4
LAW 849 International Human Rights Clinic I Units: 4, 5
LAW 850 International Human Rights Clinic II Units: 4 or 5
LAW 865 Legislative Policy Practicum Units: 3
LAW 891 Post-Conviction Justice Project I Units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
LAW 892 Post-Conviction Justice Project II Units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
LAW 893 Advanced Clinical Training Units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
A student may only satisfy this requirement with LAW 781 or LAW 782 if he or she is unable to enroll in one of the other listed courses.

Required Courses

A student must complete both of the following courses:

LAW 531 Ethical Issues for Nonprofit, Government and Criminal Lawyers Units: 3
LAW 777 Administrative Law and Regulatory Policy Units: 1, 2, 3, 4

Core Courses

A student must complete at least one of the following courses for a numerical grade:

LAW 602 Criminal Procedure Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 635 Employment Discrimination Law Units: 2, 3
LAW 686 Civil Rights Law Units: 3
LAW 704 Poverty Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 713 International Human Rights Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 775 Immigration Law Units: 2, 3, 4, 5

Substantive Courses

A student must complete at least 6 units from the following list of courses.

LAW 602 Criminal Procedure Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 623 Family Law Units: 3 or 4
LAW 635 Employment Discrimination Law Units: 2, 3
LAW 636 Labor Law Units: 3 or 4
LAW 655 Environmental Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 661 National Security Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 662 Public International Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 675 Mental Health Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 684 Suing the Government Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 686 Civil Rights Law Units: 3
LAW 697 Foreign Relations and National Security Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 702 Children, Sexuality and the Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 703a Children’s Legal Issues Units: 1, 2, 3, 4
LAW 704 Poverty Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 706 Public Health Law and Policy Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 707 Global Health, Law and Human Rights Units: 1, 2, 3
LAW 713 International Human Rights Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 714 U.S. Foreign Policy and International Law Units: 1, 2, 3, 4
LAW 716 Race and Gender in the Law Units: 1, 2, 3, 4
LAW 726 Stereotypes, Prejudice, and the Rule of Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 734 Local Government Law Units: 3 or 4
LAW 743 Federal Criminal Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 746 Critical Race Theory Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 751 Sexual Orientation and the Law Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 757 Sex, Gender and the Law Units: 1, 2, 3, 4
LAW 763 Federal Courts: The Federal System II Units: 3, 4, 5
LAW 775 Immigration Law Units: 2, 3, 4, 5
LAW 791 Law and Society Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 798 Law, Mental Health and Ethics Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 811 Health Law and Policy Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 829 Cross-Cultural Dispute Resolution Units: 2
LAW 851 Topics in Criminal Law and Criminology Units: 1, 2, 3, 4
LAW 860 International Criminal Law Units: 4
LAW 866 Counterterrorism, Privacy and Civil Liberties Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 871 First Amendment Units: 2, 3, 4
LAW 875 Constitutional Theory Seminar Units: 1, 2, 3, 4
LAW 880 Equality and Difference Units: 2, 3
LAW 881 Constitutional Innovation Units: 2, 3, 4