J. Selb*n

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Law and Poverty (J. Selb*n)

This course will provide an introduction to the relationship between law and contemporary poverty in the United States. We will explore the relevance of theory, doctrine and public policy to the persistent and damaging consequences of economic inequality – in income, assets, and access to affordable housing and health care – for tens of millions of U.S. residents. We will consider and scrutinize anti-poverty government programs (including legal services), market-based approaches and international perspectives. Course materials will be drawn from legal, social science and popular sources, and students will have an opportunity to apply their learning to problems facing low-income communities.

EBCLC Seminar (J. Selb*n)

This seminar (289) and clinic (295.5z) offer a unique educational opportunity at Boalt, integrating reading, reflection and classroom discussion on the lawyer’s role in providing legal services to low-income clients and community groups with student lawyering experiences at the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC). Concurrent enrollment in the course and clinic is mandatory for students new to the clinic (advanced clinic work may be conducted in subsequent semesters with the permission of the instructor).

Together the course and the clinic provide students with the opportunity to learn first-hand about the professional responsibilities and challenges of representing individual and group clients, including instruction in the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (and California-specific rules where appropriate). The course satisfies the Professional Responsibility requirement.

The first third of the semester is devoted to providing students with the substantive law and skills necessary to assume substantial responsibility for cases, clients and/or projects in each practice area, including several training sessions and activities for all EBCLC students and multiple “breakout” trainings by practice area. During the remainder of the semester, we discuss materials written by practitioners, academics and students about many of the issues that face EBCLC clients, EBCLC as an institution, and students working at EBCLC. Cases and projects in the five practice areas at EBCLC serve as a focus for discussion of the real-life challenges confronting lawyers and clients.

Students are required to submit periodic “reflection pieces” connecting their clinic experience with the classroom component. A final group project (paper and presentation) is also required. With the addition of one or more Law 299 units, papers prepared for this course may be developed further to satisfy the Writing Requirement.