This class explores the practical and substantive aspects of using federal civil litigation to enact systemic change. The course will cover the nuts and bolts of “impact litigation,” including a review of the substantive requirements of specific constitutional provisions and federal statutes as well as unique considerations that arise in such actions. Students will also learn how to analyze the viability of a particular legal action as applied to real-life situations. Finally, we will review the historical development of civil rights lawyering, including the work of lawyers that has led to seminal cases in our country’s history and a discussion of the relationships between lawyers and social movements.