Spring 2027 Class Descriptions
Veterans Clinic I (LWVL580)
Instructor(s): Alison Brown
2-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Public Interest Law (JD)
Students gain practical training and real world experience through representation of veteran clients and their families on a variety of legal issues. Matters include: representing clients who have disputes with predatory lenders and for-profit educational institutions over the use of GI Bill® funds and related loans; assisting veterans seeking to upgrade their characterization of discharge from the military; and representing veterans appealing disability claims with the Veterans Administration. Students provide advice, identify potential claims, and in some cases are able to advocate for clients in civil litigation, arbitration, or before governmental review boards. Weekly group meetings are combined with individual case conferences to provide intensive personal training in litigation techniques, legal strategy and case management. The classroom component also includes an overview of applicable law and procedure necessary to assist veterans in these matters. The clinic is graded on a 4-tier Pass-Fail basis.
Students interested in working in the clinics for either academic credit or as a volunteer must first fill out and submit the USD Legal Clinics Application for Law Students . Clinic staff will review your application and confirm enrollment.
Veterans Clinic II (LWVL581)
Instructor(s): Alison Brown
1-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Public Interest Law (JD)
Clinic II interns refine their skills, working on complex cases and cases already begun as Clinic I interns. Students may mentor first time clinic participants, serve as lead attorney on cases, and have additional opportunities to appear in court or administrative proceedings. Supervising attorneys/adjunct professors provide individualized coaching, based on the Clinic II interns’ needs and interests. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Clinic I in the same clinic.
Students interested in working in the clinics for either academic credit or as a volunteer must first fill out and submit the USD Legal Clinics Application for Law Students . Clinic staff will review your application and confirm enrollment.
Voting Rights and Election Law (NEW) (LWPP590)
Instructor(s): Staff
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
This course surveys the law governing the political process in the United States. We will explore conceptions of the right to vote and how the electorate is defined. Topics include the evolution of constitutional and statutory vote denial and vote dilution litigation, and racial and political gerrymandering challenges, from the more expansive jurisprudence of the Warren and Burger Courts to the current environment under the Roberts Court. We will address contemporary controversies surrounding improving voter access and preventing alleged fraud, the increase in litigation as an aspect of the electoral process, and the extent of federal executive authority in elections. Beyond the case law, the course will examine how the historical context of voting rights developments affects judicial perceptions in this area. The course is intended to prepare students to litigate voting rights issues creatively and to develop arguments and evidence that persuade courts in an increasingly challenging landscape.
Note:
This course will be taught by Professor John Ulin.