Social Justice Opportunities

Social justice is at the heart of Seattle U Law’s mission. We believe in the power of attorneys to advance justice for marginalized and underserved communities, and a variety of opportunities are available for law students to deepen their involvement in critical societal issues.

Courses

Each semester, students can choose courses that focus on a particular aspect of social justice. Courses taught currently or in recent semesters include:

Ronald A. Peterson Law Clinic, Seattle U Law’s renowned clinical training program, offers opportunities for 2L/3L students to work on actual cases helping real clients with critical legal issues related to housing, immigration, civil rights, workers’ rights, international human rights, and more.

Externships provide law students with the ability to work with non-profit legal aid and social service organizations – for course credit – that are on the front lines of social justice advocacy and action.

Access to Justice Institute provides opportunities to work on issues related to social justice, public interest, and public service, serving as the bridge between academics and action, encouraging students to be leaders for justice. 

Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law & Equality advances social justice by fostering critical thinking about discrimination in U.S. society and through targeted advocacy to foster equality and freedom. The center's work is divided into three units: research, advocacy and education projects. 

Public Interest Law Foundation raises awareness of the rewards, challenges, opportunities, and needs in public interest law. To encourage students to consider public interest careers, PILF sponsors several programs, including a summer grant to fund public interest work.

Seattle Journal for Social Justice is a peer-reviewed, student-edited journal that promotes critical interdisciplinary discussions on urgent problems of social justice.