Social Justice Certificate
The Social Justice Certificate allows students to deepen their knowledge and expand their expertise in areas that intersect with social justice. Through courses and hands-on work, the certificate prepares students for a career that aligns with their values.
The Social Justice Certificate is available to concurrently enrolled KU Law J.D. students
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.
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 at an earlier point. If you fail to meet the requirements of the certificate by the time you graduate, you will not earn the certificate.
In addition to all other J.D. degree requirements, students must complete the requirements below to earn the Social Justice Certificate.
Experiential Component: Every student in the concentration must complete one of the following experiential courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Field Placement Program (Placement must be with an organization focused on social justice. Requires director approval.) | ||
| Legal Aid Clinic | ||
| Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies |
Course Component: Students must complete 6 courses from the list of courses below, or otherwise approved by the certificate director:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Law | ||
| Advanced Legal Aid Clinic | ||
| Asylum and Refugee Law | ||
| Civil Rights Actions | ||
| Employment Discrimination Law | ||
| Environmental Law Seminar (Environmental Justice) | ||
| Federal Indian Law | ||
| Feminist Jurisprudence | ||
| Independent Research (related to social justice) | ||
| Juvenile Law | ||
| Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) Seminar | ||
| Mass Incarceration | ||
| Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations | ||
| Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and the Law | ||
| Special Topics: _____ (Social Justice Lawyering) |
A second course meeting the criteria for the experiential component requirement, as approved by the certificate director.
Any additional courses as approved by the certificate director.
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.