LGBTQ+ ADVOCACY AND INCLUSIVE LAWYERING
(LAWI-4115) - 2 UNITS

LGBTQ communities face barriers in access to LGBTQ affirming legal assistance and traditional legal systems. This skills builder course will provide students with best practices and lawyering approaches that promote access to legal systems and help overcome barriers related to implicit bias and discrimination on the basis of gender identity and/or sexual orientation. This interactive course will address a wide range of issues impacting LGBTQ communities, including the current and historical social context of homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, cultural inclusivity, bias and stigma, violence within and against LGBTQ communities, and the unique barriers for LGBTQ litigants. This course will utilize an interactive learning process to support students in developing trauma-informed legal approaches which increase access to legal assistance. Interactive sessions will assist students in developing LGBTQ-specific direct legal service provision skills. Students will also gain skills to enact systemic change through client interviewing, court and trial advocacy, community/stakeholder advocacy, and public policy advocacy. Students will practice LGBTQ-inclusive client interviewing, legal story-telling, and stakeholder, system actor, and policy advocacy. Grading will be based on attendance, 1 reflection paper, an advocacy presentation on LGBTQ legal issues, and a final paper.

Pass/Fail:
No

Prerequisites:
None