Academic preparation and support
Pierce Law offers a broad range of public interest courses taught by a diverse faculty core with strong social justice backgrounds. The goal is to equip students with necessary skills to use their legal education to advance social justice.
Curriculum
The Social Justice Institute (SJI) has designed three curricular plans for students preparing for careers in public interest law and social justice advocacy. These practice areas are designed to prepare students in fields of greatest relevance to the under-represented and most vulnerable in our communities in the following areas: Criminal Justice, Family and Children, Elders and Persons with Disabilities.
Street Law
Street Law is offered as a course to 2L and 3L students. During it, students teach a ten-class course on rights and responsibilities under law to New Hampshire high school students. Law students teach classes that focus on civil, criminal and constitutional themes, providing practical legal information and teaching the underlying concepts of our constitutional democracy.
Students teach not only about the law, but also about human rights and democratic values upon which a legal system should be based. Before teaching, students will be trained in effective teaching methods and will participate in peer teaching exercises within the law school classroom setting.
The goals of this course are two fold — to effectively teach a law related education course to a lay audience, while at the same time gaining a better understanding of how law is applied; developing trial skills; and improving oral advocacy skills and knowledge of legal procedures and concepts.
