The Social Justice Certificate is available to concurrently enrolled J.D. students at KU Law. 

Social justice lawyers work to challenge the systems that create unequal status hierarchies and thus give tangible meaning to democratic ideals in the everyday lives of marginalized individuals and communities.

Working both domestically and internationally, social justice lawyers seek to center the voices of those who are systemically subordinated and underrepresented, with the goal of eradicating systemic inequality and replacing it with systemic justice.

The Social Justice Certificate is ideal for students interested in challenging societal inequality and power differentials, particularly as these relate to class and economics, identity and civil rights, and the political process.

The coursework in the certificate program gives students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and develop their expertise in ways that will allow them to use law and policy to practically, ethically, and materially advance equality and social justice. The Social Justice Certificate also prepares students for a career that aligns with their values. Hands-on work is an important component of this certificate program.

In addition to all other J.D. degree requirements, students must complete the requirements below to earn the Social Justice Certificate.

Students who intend to pursue a certificate program should complete the Declaration Form. The form deadline for your intention to pursue a certificate is November 1st of your 3L year, though you may certainly do so earlier. If you fail to meet the requirements of the certificate by the time you graduate, you will not earn the certificate.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Experiential Component:
1 of the following.		6
LAW 952	Legal Aid Clinic
LAW 895	Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies
LAW 894	Field Placement Program (Placement must be with an organization focused on social justice. Requires director approval.)
Course Component:
6 of the following.		11-18
LAW 850	Administrative Law
LAW 833	Advanced Legal Aid Clinic
LAW 886	Civil Rights Actions
LAW 903	Employment Discrimination Law
LAW 904	Environmental Law Seminar
LAW 914	Federal Indian Law
LAW 876	Feminist Jurisprudence
LAW 924	Independent Research (related to social justice, director approval.)
LAW 935	Juvenile Law
LAW 987	Law and Social Change
LAW 982	Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) Seminar
LAW 965	Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations
LAW 942	Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and the Law
LAW 994	Special Topics: _____ (with approval of the certificate director)
Any additional course with the approval of the certificate director.
A second course meeting the criteria for the experiential component requirement, as approved by the certificate director. (example 2 experiential components, 5 course components)
Total Hours		17-24

At the completion of this program, students will be able to: 

• Acquire Knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law.
• Develop legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, problem-solving, professional skills, and written and oral communication in the legal context.
• Exercise proper professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system.