LAW-8123 Veterans Law: Civil Legal Needs and Advocacy
Veterans Law: Civil Legal Needs and Advocacy. This externship course includes a specialized seminar and externship placement focused on the civil legal needs of veterans of the United States military and preparing students to address those needs through legal aid and pro bono work. The seminar component of this externship course will provide students with an overview of veteran legal issues, the work currently being done to attempt to meet those needs, and the legal and practical skills necessary to effectively advocate for veteran clients. The course also includes an externship placement at a law firm, non-profit, or government agency where the student will perform pro bono or legal aid services for veteran clients. Students will work with veteran clients to assist with their civil legal issues and advocate on behalf of their veteran clients under the supervision of a placement supervisor. Through this course, students will gain an in-depth understanding of civil legal issues facing veterans while gaining practical experience in areas such as witness interviewing, client counseling, fact investigation, drafting legal documents, brief writing, negotiation, and oral advocacy. The seminar component will also provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their externship work, explore their professional identities, consider how issues of bias, cross cultural competency, and racism impact this area of law, and explore the ethical issues associated with the practice. The seminar will be 2 credits and will be graded H/P/LP/F. The externship placements may be taken for between 2 and 5 additional credits. Students will need to register for the Veteran’s Law Externship Placements separately.