Public Interest Legislation and Policy Practicum

3 credits · Law School

Students will learn about and engage in the legislative and policymaking process through lecture, in-class discussion, and skill-building simulations. Each student will also be required to complete a substantive legislation or policy final project on behalf of community members or public service organizations. Projects will address education, juvenile justice, child welfare, and other public interest matters. The final project will be undertaken by pairs or small teams of students and will include one or more of the following elements: legislative or policy research and legal analysis; legislative or policy drafting; and writing persuasive advocacy materials. The course may include visits to the Tennessee General Assembly or policy-making entities. The course will develop lawyering skills including fact-finding, legal analysis, strategic thinking, negotiation, and written and oral advocacy. Students will learn concepts underlying advocacy in the context of legislative and policy drafting. The simulations will be directly supervised by the instructor. Students will have multiple opportunities to engage in simulations and to conduct performance self-evaluations and receive feedback from the instructor. Enrollment limited. [3]