Practice of Law

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Day 1: Building Community and Confidence in a Required, Skills-Based Class

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By Prof. Sarah J. Schendel

Each fall I teach Legal Analysis and Methods (“Methods”), a required class for students who have been placed on academic probation or warning. When planning the class, I try to pause and reflect about what the last few months have been like for these students. They came to a new school, entered a new learning environment, worked hard for months, paid a lot of money, sacrificed time with friends and family, and at the end of the year were told (in the form of low grades) that they needed to do better, to do more, to do something differently. That’s tough! . . .

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Is the Public Interest Lawyer Antiracist?

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By Bavani Sridhar

Over the last century, public interest law has taken shape as advocating on behalf of “the people” over economic interests. In the present day, there still exists some ambiguity and controversy as to the definition of public interest law and all it encompasses. Who are the “people” that public interest lawyers advocate for? What is the “public interest” and who defines it? Lawyers have argued that “the people” who are the subject of public interest law are historically underrepresented and disadvantaged groups. These groups—while also ill defined—are often comprised of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) minorities. On the other hand, organizations and legislative bodies, influenced by their political, moral, and religious beliefs, regularly determine what the public interest is . . .

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The Continued Crash of the Legal Industry

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By Antonio Coronado

“What was the holding of the case?” A harsh silence filled the space as students nervously waited for the cold call to end. They flipped between the 30-some assigned pages of their casebook in discomfort, desperate to pass the time. Only clicks of pens and the occasional cough dared cut the tense air. But the professor was unresponsive to the silence. Like the laws they represented, they remained steadfast and unflinching in repetition of their routine: “What was the holding of the case?” . . .

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Continued Push for Diploma Privilege Plus: Recent Law Graduates Advocate for a More Fair and Equitable Licensure Process in 2020

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As our country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting economic collapse, and a nationwide reckoning regarding systemic racism, states are confronted with the unique challenge of licensing new lawyers for professional practice in 2020 . . .