What is social justice advocacy? Who is a cause lawyer? Who is a public interest lawyer? Are these definitions fluid? Why does it matter? What is a public interest cause? How is it similar or different from other legal problems? What are the tools to solve these issues? What is your role (as a budding lawyer) in the public interest world? How do you achieve that goal? Building on the students’ extensive and varied work experiences, this course examines these questions and others in a systematic and critical analysis of public interest and social justice lawyering. The first part of the course will focus on the history of public interest law and examine contemporary lawyering prototypes and controversies. The second part of the course will discuss a few public interest/social justice/public policy/lawyering problems. Finally, the course will conclude by focusing two weeks on a “needs-assessment” for a community or non-profit organization/NGO of students’ choosing. *Note this class is required for JD Flex students seeking to complete the Social Justice/Public Interest track. All JD Flex students are welcome to participate.