Saturday, 10:30 – 12:00 pm
PLENARY TWO, Moot Courtroom
TEACHING SOCIAL JUSTICE IN EXTERNSHIP COURSES: WHETHER, WHY, & HOW?
Ellen Chapnick, Columbia Law School
Alexi Freeman, University of Denver, Sturm College of Law
Esther Park, University of Washington School of Law
Leah Wortham, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America
This plenary addresses the role that social justice teaching plays for externships. Social justice teaching covers diverse topics and methods, including service to clients in need, critical assessments of law and legal process, cause and systemic advocacy, community lawyering, and other concerns. The panel will address core questions: whether to address social justice topics in externships; how externships offer both opportunities and risks for such teaching; and what choices schools and teachers face both in program design and in course delivery. The panelists will offer different perspectives on these concerns and will offer participants both general and course-specific takeaways.