In this course, students will learn and practice the skills associated with pretrial civil litigation (complaint through summary judgment), particularly focusing on skills and strategies relevant to civil rights litigation in federal district courts.

This class covers a range of poverty law issues. It begins with coverage of how poverty is measured, the major themes in poverty law, and the most important constitutional law cases. It then covers a number of specific issues: welfare, work, housing, health, education, criminalization, and access to justice. It ends by covering the relationship between market forces and poverty as well as human rights approaches to poverty law.

The Community Solutions Clinic teaches structured, team-based problem solving through collaborative engagement with community groups.

This directed study is one part of a two-part full-time externship combining academic study and work experience under the supervision of a faculty member and an educational, charitable, governmental or nonprofit host organization.

Students in this seminar will learn about aspects of the lawyer's role in counseling and problem solving for organizations and community groups through readings and critiques, discussion and short written assignments or reflections, and simulation exercises.