MON., JANUARY 24

Who are we? What are we doing?

Read/Watch:

• Syllabus (see “Syllabus” tab on this site) and Course Schedule below

• Personality Photos (once your classmates have posted)

• Preview these assignments, due later in the semester:

  • Takeaways & Reflections (due 2/15, 3/22, 4/26))

  • Team Discussion #1 (due 2/8)

• Need to remember why you’re in law school? Read the first chapter of Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, where he recounts visiting a client as a law student.

Submit:

• Pre-Class Survey - Tell me a little about yourself so I can make our class more tailored to everyone’s interests.

• Personality Photo - Let’s kick off the semester with a corny but fun way to learn each other’s faces and interests! We’ll vote on superlatives by the end of class.

WED., JANUARY 26

Theories of Justice

Read/Watch: Why This?

• “Social Justice: History, Theory and Research,” Chapter 30 from Handbook of Social Psychology, Fifth Ed., the following excerpts:

  • “Distributive Justice/Aristotle and the History of the Concept,” pp. 1126-27

  • “Principles of Equality and Need,” pp. 1132-33

  • “Do Liberals and Conservative Prefer Different Justice Principles?,” pp. 1133-34

  • “Retributive Justice,” pp. 1144-45

  • “Restorative Justice,” pp. 1145-46

• Vox: “The Case Against Equality of Opportunity”

• Alex Rajczi: “What is the Conservative Point of View about Distributive Justice?” (pp. 341-45)

Submit:

• Sign up for Paired Class Facilitation. What is this? Read here.

MON., JANUARY 31

Poverty & Inequality, Part I: Civil Direct Legal Services

Emily Ponder Williams ‘14, Neighborhood Defender Services, Harlem
Andrew Chen ‘15, Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations

Read/Watch:

• Economic Policy Institute: “50 Years After the Kerner Commission”

• Aneel L. Chablani: “Legal Aid’s Once and Future Rule for Impacting the Criminalization of Poverty and the War on the Poor” (pp. 353-60)

• Newton, et al: “Civil Gideon and NYC’s Universal Access: Why Comprehensive Public Benefits Advocacy is Essential to Preventing Evictions and Creating Stability” (pp. 201-03, 216-227)

• Runa Rajagopal: “Diary of a Civil Public Defender: Critical Lessons for Achieving Transformative Change on Behalf of Communities” (pp. 887-end)

WED., FEBRUARY 2 - No Class

*Attend Shaping Justice Conference on Fri., 2/4**

No assignments for this class!

You must, however, attend the 2022 Shaping Justice Conference: Forging a More Just Society — two panels and/or workshops and the keynote address by Derecka Purnell. Make sure to add your observations about the conference in your Takeaways & Reflections.

MON., FEBRUARY 7

Poverty & Inequality, Part II: Civil Legal Services & the Right to Civil Counsel

Read/Watch:

• Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor: From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation, Chapter 1 (pp. 29-44)

• Heritage Foundation: “Understanding the Hidden $1.1 Trillion Welfare System and How to Reform it”

• Tonya Brito: “The Right to Civil Counsel”

• National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel: Virginia Page (skim different categories of cases in which Virginians have a civil right to counsel)

*Make sure to meet with your team for your Team Discussion #1 assignment

WED., FEBRUARY 9

Criminal Justice Direct Services, Part I: Public Defenders

John Williams ‘14, Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn, NY
Jordin Dickerson ‘20, Robeson County Public Defender, NC

Read/Watch:

• The Nation: “Unequal Before the Law: How Did We End up With Our Current System of Public Defenders?”

• Robin Steinberg: “Heeding Gideon’s Call in the Twenty-First Century: Holistic Defense and the New Public Defense Paradigm” (pp. 1-27)

• Baćak, et al: “Fighting the Good Fight: Why Do Public Defenders Remain on the Job?” (pp. 939-43, 950-958)

• Sam Allison-Natale: “From Altruism to Solidarity: A New (or Perhaps Old) Model for Public Service”

• Speaker Materials:

  • John Williams, Motion to Suppress

Submit:

• Team Discussion #1: Click on your team’s tab (1-9) on the bottom and record notes on your sheet. Please don’t delete anyone else’s text!

MON., FEBRUARY 14

Criminal Justice Direct Services, Part II: Progressive Prosecution

Shannon Neal ‘14, Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
April Russo ‘14, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia

Read/Watch:

• Fordham Law Symposium Contributors: “Can a Good Person be a Good Prosecutor?” (pp. 1-18, 30-39)

• Institute for Innovation in Prosecution: “A Vision for the Modern Prosecutor”

• Vera Institute, Motion for Justice Program “Action Steps” (Explore at least 3 of the tiles on this page, such as “Divert”)

• Sujatha Baliga: “A Different Path for Confronting Sexual Assault” (about restorative justice)

• Preet Bharara, Doing Justice: A Prosecutor’s Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law, “Baby Carlina”

• U.S. Department of Justice, “Justice Manual” sections 9-27.300, 9-27.730, 9-27.745

• Speaker Material(s):

  • Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office Restorative Justice Memorandum of Agreement (Draft)

WED., FEBRUARY 16

Digesting Criminal Justice Direct Services &
Mission Impossible: Chasing Your Public Service Passion or Developing it?

Read/Watch: Why This?

• BBC: “How A Growth Mindset Can Lead to Success”

• Indeed: “8 Ways to Find Your Passion”

• Work Life with Adam Grant Podcast Episode: “The Perils of Following Your Career Passion” (34 min., Transcript)

• Life Kit Podcast Episode: “Extraordinary is Overrated. Here’s How to Embrace the Power of an Ordinary Life” (21 min., Transcript)

• Unanue, et al: “Revisiting the Link between Job Satisfaction and Life Satisfaction: The Role of Basic Psychological Needs”

• OPTIONAL (if you want a fun, deeper dive): Tim Urban: “How to Pick a Career That Actually Fits You” (referenced in Adam Grant’s podcast transcript)

Submit:

• Takeaways & Reflections # 1

MON., FEBRUARY 21

Building Public Service Leadership Skills

Molly Harlow, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service

Read/Watch:

• Ed Hess: Hyper-Learning: How to Adapt to the Speed of Change, Chapter 1

• Dean Spade: Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next), Chapter 5 (Excerpt)

• Oliver Burkeman: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Chapter 8 (Excerpt)

• Work on Brene Brown Dare to Lead Values Exercise (This may feel fluffy at first! I was skeptical until I tried it. Spend 20 minutes digging in. Be real with yourself. You don’t need to share your exercise with anyone, but do complete this before class so that you’ll get the most out of Ms. Harlow’s presentation.)

WED., FEBRUARY 23

Systemic Advocacy, Part I: Introduction

Read/Watch:

• Raymond Brescia: “Creative Lawyering for Social Change” (pp. 529 - top of 535; 572 - top of 588)

• Jim Freeman: “Supporting Social Movements: A Brief Guide for Lawyers and Law Students”

• Economic Policy Institute: “State Attorneys General Can Play Roles in Protecting Workers’ Rights” (1-12)

• Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General: “Building Toward a Racial Justice and Equity in Health: A Call to Action” (internal pp. 1-13, 26-28)

MON., FEBRUARY 28

Systemic Advocacy, Part II: Immigration & Environmental Advocacy

Leslye Orloff, National Immigrant Women’s Project
Erik Grafe '00, EarthJustice

Read/Watch:

• National Immigrant Justice Center: “Access to Counsel”

• Nicole Narea (Vox): “America’s Asylum is Broken. Here’s How Biden Could Fix It”

• ACLU: “Justice-Free Zones: U.S. Immigration Detention Under the Trump Administration” (Executive Summary, pp. 4-12)

• YaleEnvironment 360: “Unequal Impact: The Deep Link Between Racism and Climate Change” (Interview with Elizabeth Yeampierre)

• Environmental Law Institute: “Reimagining Environmental and Natural Resources Law: A Synthesis Report Exploring the Next 50 Years of Environmental Law” (Executive Summary, pp. 3-7)

• Speaker Materials

  • Erik Grafe: Inside Climate News, January 2022 Article; New York Times August 2021 Article

  • Leslye Orloff: NIWAP Executive Summary (“Transforming Lives…”); “Redefining Immigration Reform…” (pp. 34-37)

WED., MARCH 2

Systemic Advocacy, Part III: Criminal Justice Reform

Aditi Goel ‘13, Sixth Amendment Center
Alison Mollman, Equal Justice Initiative

Read/Watch:

• Brennan Center: “A Federal Agenda for Criminal Justice Reform” (pp. 2-9)

• Marshall Project: “How Conservatives Learned to Love Free Lawyers for the Poor”

• Podcast: Public Defenseless, Episode Jan. 12: “Sixth Amendment Center with David Carroll” (~1 hr. 19 min.)

• Complaint in United States v. Alabama (DOJ complaint against state for terms and conditions of confinement violations under the 8th Amendment)

• Equal Justice Initiative: “Prison Conditions”

Submit:

• Team Discussion #2 - DEADLINE EXTENDED to Thursday, March 4

MON., MARCH 14

Financing Your Public Service Career

Jennifer Hulvey, Assistant Dean for Financial Aid, Education and Planning
Helen Dugger, Associate Director of Financial Aid

Read/Watch:

• Why This? (Reading Intro)

• UVA Law: Virginia Loan Forgiveness Program FAQs

• Federal StudentAid: Public Service Loan Forgiveness

• SKIM: 2018 NALP Public Interest Salary Report (knowing it’s a few years out of date)

• ABA Journal: “Law firms came ‘dangerously close’ to losing almost a quarter of their associates in 2021, new report says”

• OPTIONAL: John Bliss: “From Idealists to Hired Guns: An Empirical Account of ‘Public Interest Drift’ in Law School”

WED., MARCH 16

Representing the Government, Part I: The Executive Branch

Laura Akowuah ‘12, Food and Drug Administration
Sarah Johns ‘12, Virginia Commonwealth University General Counsel’s Office
Yan Gao ‘14, Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Competition
Sejal Jhaveri ‘15, U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division

*We will be splitting up the class to talk with speakers, using WB152 as our second classroom*

Read/Watch:

• Lisa Grumet: “Promoting Justice from the Inside: The Counseling Role of Local Government and School District Attorneys” (the roles described also apply to federal & state government attorneys)

• FDA Introductory Materials:

  • Office of Chief Counsel Overview

  • Office of Criminal Investigations - Case Activity

• FTC Introductory Materials:

  • Competition Counts: How Consumers Win When Businesses Compete

  • January 22, 2022 Press Release about FTC Lawsuit to Block Lockheed Martin’s acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings

  • February 15, 2022 Press Release about follow-up to the above lawsuit

• Virginia Office of the Attorney General Introductory Materials:

  • About the Office and VCU University Counsel’s Office

  • Brent Davis: “The Underappreciated Role of University Lawyers”

• U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division Materials:

  • Voting Section Press Release (June 2021) re: United States v. Georgia

  • Immigrant & Employee Rights Section Press Release (Feb. 2020) re: Chancery Staffing Solutions

MON., MARCH 21

Representing the Government, Part II: State and Local Government

Pre-recorded Speakers:
Jess Feinberg ‘21, Ruff Fellow, Office of the Attorney General, Dist. of Columbia, Civil Rights Section
Melodie Meyer ‘20, Justice Catalyst/Public Rights Project Fellow, Yurok Tribe

Read/Watch:

• Read beforehand:

  • Melodie Meyer: “Every Tribe Has a Wound. Can Government-to-Government Consultation Help Mend It?”

  • Jess Feinberg Materials:

    • Testimony of the OAG re: Hate Crime Legislation

    • Press Release: “AG Racine Introduces Legislation to Stop Discrimination In Automated Decision-Making Tools That Impact Individuals' Daily Lives”

    • Press Release: “AG Racine's New Civil Rights Team Takes Action to Fight Housing Discrimination”

• Watch Interview with Melodie Meyer (25 min.)

• Watch Interview with Jess Feinberg (24 min.)

WED., MARCH 23

Representing the Government, Part III: The Legislative Branch

Joe Charlet ‘18, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D)
Hannah Fraher ‘19, U.S. Congressman Mike Johnson (R)

Read/Watch:

• Hannah Fraher materials:

  • Press Release: “Johnson Calls for Committee Hearings on America’s Growing Fentanyl Crisis”

  • Bill: “Continuing and Enduring Action to Stop Every Overdose Act of 2022”

  • Press Release: “Vice Chairman Johnson: It’s Time for Democrats to “Wake Up” and Help Address America’s Growing Fentanyl Crisis”

Submit: Takeaways & Reflection #2

MON., MARCH 28 - **Caplin Pavilion**

Exploring Clinics and Externships

2L/3L students representing six clinics will be joining us

Read/Watch:

• UVA Law Comparing Clinics Chart

• Since this is a light-reading class, take the time to complete and write up your Practitioner Informational Interview!

WED., MARCH 30

Community Lawyering, Movement Lawyering

Wyatt Rolla ‘13, Legal Aid Justice Center, Civil Rights and Racial Justice
Harold Folley, Organizer, Legal Aid Justice Center, Civil Rights and Racial Justice

Read/Watch:

• William Quigley: “Reflections of Community Organizers: Lawyering for Empowerment of Community Organizations”

• Betty Hung: “Movement Lawyering as Rebellious Lawyering: Advocating with Humility, Love and Courage”

• LAJC-related materials:

  • LAJC: “What’s Next for Record Sealing in Virginia?” (please watch the 3-minute video interview posted on this page of Whitmore Merrick, who was a Shaping Justice Conference panelist)

  • Progress Virginia: “Counsel at First Appearance” action page

• WMRA Interview Transcript: “Police Reform and Charlottesville’s Civilian Review Board” (featuring Harold Folley)

Submit:

• Experiential Learning Plan

• Practitioner Informational Interview

MON., APRIL 4

Juvenile and Child Advocacy

Shannon Sherwood Parker ‘14, Support Center for Child Advocates
Erin Seagears ‘20, Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Annapolis

Read/Watch:

• Maryland Matters: “Opinion: The Public Safety Case for Youth Justice Reform in Maryland”

• National Juvenile Defender Center: “Role of Juvenile Defense Counsel in Delinquency Court”

• Child Welfare Information Gateway: “How the Child Welfare System Works”

• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Travis County: “What You Should Know About Disproportionality” and Children’s Rights Executive Summary “Ending the Unjust, Unnecessary and Devastating Removal of Black Children from their Families.”

• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Travis County: “A Brief History of Foster Care in the United States”

WED., APRIL 6

Leading Public Interest Organizations

Fatima Goss Graves, President/CEO, National Women’s Law Center
Claire Blumenson ‘11, Executive Director/Co-Founder, School Justice Project

Read/Watch:

• National Women’s Law Center: “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization: What’s at Stake for Abortion Rights and Access”

• Fatima Goss Graves, National Law Journal: “A Victory for Women’s Health Advocates”

• School Justice Project: “Federal Court Judge Finds DC in Contempt for Failing to Comply with Court Order to Provide Special Education to Students at the DC Jail”

• School Justice Project Explainers: “Challenges for Youth in Detention: The Battle of the Local Education Agencies” and “Education Issues Facing Students With Special Education Needs Incarcerated in the Central Detention Facility (D.C. Jail)”

Submit:

• Team Discussion #3

MON., APRIL 11

Diving into Policy Making: Case Study

Our in-class case study will focus on the shooting of Amir Locke and the recent decision not to prosecute the responsible officer

Read/Watch:

• The Cut: “Everything You Need to Know About the Police Shooting of Amir Locke”

• CBS News Minnesota Video: “Press Conference of Karen Wells and Rev. Al Sharpton” (watch to ~14:40 for speeches by Sharpton, Ben Crump (family attorney), and Locke’s mother, Karen Wells)

• Mayor Frey’s Press Release: “City announces new warrant and entry policy proposal”

• CNN: “There's a growing consensus in law enforcement over no-knock warrants: The risks outweigh the rewards”

• OPTIONAL: Joint Report of Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and Hennepin County Attorney

WED., APRIL 13

International Human Rights: Transitional Justice and Gender-Inclusive Justice

Najwa Nabti ‘02, Legal Officer, Gender Crimes; United Nations International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism – Syria (IIIM)
Professor Camilo Sánchez, Director, International Human Rights Clinic

Read/Watch:

• International Center for Transitional Justice: “What is Transitional Justice?”

• Prof. Camilo Sánchez: “Economic Actors and Transitional Justice Policies in Latin America”

• Prof. Camilo Sánchez (co-authored): “US Has A Legal Obligation To Provide Reparations For Slavery”

• RWL Regional Women’s Law in South East Europe: “Gender Inclusive Justice”

• United Nations Office of the High Commissioner: “A Practitioner’s Toolkit on Women’s Access to Justice Programming” (internal pp. 15-23)

• United Nations General Assembly: “International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes Under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic Since March 2011.” (para. 38-42)

• Silke Studzinsky: “Prosecuting Conflict-Related Sexual Violence at the ICTY” (p. 850)

MON., APRIL 18

The First Public Service Job: Honors Programs, Fellowships, Entry-Level Hiring

Class will start at 4:30; Bonus 3L Student Panel & Dinner from 5:00-5:45pm

Read/Watch:

• Lawrence Krieger and Kennon Sheldon: “What Makes Lawyers Happy?: A Data-Driven Prescription to Redefine Professional Success” (This is a long read, but it’s the most important thing I’ve read about the law school experience and lawyer satisfaction in the past decade)

• American Psychological Association: “How to Overcome Impostor Phenomenon”

• Three short fact sheets about career tracks:

  • Public Service Center: Entry-Level Hiring: State Public Defense, State Prosecution, Civil Legal Services

  • Public Service Center: Honors Program Government Hiring

  • Public Service Center: Postgraduate Fellowship Hiring

Submit:

• OPTIONAL: Ask and upvote your top questions about 3L public service hiring in PollEverywhere

WED., APRIL 20

Career Transitions: Private to Public & Public Interest Law Firms

Gillian Giannetti, Natural Resources Defense Council
Johanna Hickman, Cohen Milstein

Read/Watch:

• David Wilkins: “Rethinking the Public-Private Distinction in Legal Ethics: The Case of “Substitute” Attorneys-General” (pp. 423-34)

• Cohen Milstein: “About Us”

• Gillian Giannetti: “FERC's New Gas Policies Bring Balance to Pipeline Reviews”

• NRDC: “Sustainable FERC Project”

Submit:

• Policy Brief Preview Assignment

MON., APRIL 25

Building a Life Outside the Law

Helen Fremont, career public defender and author of NYT bestselling memoir
After Long Silence and The Escape Artist
Bryan Porter, Commonwealth’s Attorney of Alexandria and author of The Parable of the
Knocker: The True Crime Story of a Prosecutor's Fight to Bring a Serial Killer to Justice

Read/Watch:

• Helen Fremont: Excerpts from The Escape Artist

• Bryan Porter: Excerpts from The Parable of the Knocker

• Annie Kim: Guest Blog Post & poem for the Library of Virginia

WED., APRIL 27

Policy Briefs Quick Talks

Read/Watch:

• Nothing to read for this class! Do come prepared to talk about your current policy brief ideas and questions, and to offer advice to your classmates on theirs.