This course will discuss the biological, social, and emotional effects of trauma experienced by individuals and families involved in legal systems. Students will gain skills to incorporate neuroscience and social science research into legal practice to effectively address the trauma experienced by their clients within the boundaries of an attorney-client relationship. There will be discussion of the adequacy of current legal systems’ trauma response and an opportunity to consider methods of change. This course will pay special attention to the ethical responsibility lawyers have to understand and address the trauma of their clients and themselves, including the relationship between competence, zealous advocacy and trauma responsive practices. This course will offer an opportunity to implement lawyering skills through group work and case scenarios. Online asynchronous course. Students may take up to 27 credits under the 83 credit requirement (28 under the 86 credit requirement) toward their J.D. degree through courses that are designated "distance education courses." This course counts toward the distance education credit limit. A distance education course is one in which students are separated from the faculty member or each other for more than one-third of the instruction and the instruction involves the use of technology to support regular and substantive interaction among students and between the students and the faculty member, either synchronously or asynchronously. Source: ABA Standard 306(a).
LAW-3545: Trauma Responsive Legal Advocacy
Credits
3