Public Interest Law and Policy
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Total Credits
Minimum Program Hours
Program Graduation Requirements
Meet all general requirements for graduation from the college with a J.D. degree.
No grade lower than a B- in any course taken to satisfy the certificate.
Complete all certificate requirements with at least a B overall average.
A student may not exercise a CR/NC option in a course that counts toward the certificate.
Certificate Type
Embedded certificates are conferred concurrently with a degree.
Stand Alone certificates are conferred to a student who is not seeking a degree.
Must be completed with a grade of B or better.
For LAW 7800 or LAW 7971: A paper that satisfies the Seminar Paper Requirement with a public interest law and policy focus (must have Associate Dean for Academic Affairs approval).
Complete at least 3 credits from the following types of courses:
Clinic or Field Placement
Students must earn the Certificate of Service by completing at least 50 hours of pro bono activities under the auspices of the Pro Bono Initiative to satisfy the Certificate in Public Interest Law and Policy.
Students must complete at least 17 credits for the certificate. Please refer to the Public Interest Law and Policy Certificate elective course list for remaining credits. Due to the evolving nature of the law school curriculum, new courses or seminars may count toward the certificate course requirements. Inquiries about whether a particular course qualifies should be directed to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, who will consult with the relevant faculty members as necessary. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs also has the authority to remove courses from the above list of electives if they are no longer offered.
The following topics may be used for LAW 7080:
AI, Deepfakes, & Disinfo
Title IX
Youth Delinquency
Other topics with a public interest law and policy focus may be used with approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. In making such decisions, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will consult with relevant faculty members.
The following topics may be used for LAW 7801:
First Amendment
First Press Colloquium
Media Law
Mortality
Other topics with a public interest law and policy focus may be used with approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. In making such decisions, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will consult with relevant faculty members.
The following topics may be used for LAW 7945:
Human-Centered Lawyering
Mental Health Legal Clinic
Adv. Env. Pol. Accelerator
Envir. Policy Accelerator
Intro to Immigration
Other topics with a public interest law and policy focus may be used with approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. In making such decisions, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will consult with relevant faculty members.
LAW 7925 may be used for an arranged field placement or clinical placement with a public interest law and policy focus (does not include the credit hours taken in a co-curricular course; maximum of six credit hours). Requires the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Director of Experiential Education.
LAW 7971 and LAW 7972 may be used with a public interest law and policy topic under the supervision of a fulltime faculty member (maximum of three credit hours, may be graded or ungraded). Requires the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Non-Law Graduate Courses with a public interest law and policy focus may be used with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.