LAWS 2338 ‑ Clinical Advocacy, Law and Practice: Responding to Sexualized Violence

CREDIT HOURS: 6 (3 credits in each term)

The Clinical Law, Advocacy and Practice course (CALP) course will facilitate students’ acquisition of the specialized knowledge, skills, and expertise required for practice, research, and advocacy in the area of sexual assault law. The focus of the course will be on the need for improved legal responses to sexualized violence. The class will equip students with the capacity to engage critically and constructively with the evolving tools of law, policy, and rights in the context of sexual assault law. The course will be organized based on three central and interrelated objectives: public advocacy and policy development; knowledge production; and skills based capacity building. In light of these objectives, CALP will be comprised of three interconnected components: public policy and advocacy; research; and skills based capacity building. The clinic will be a policy, advocacy, research, and education clinic. The substantive orientation of this course will be on legal issues related to sexual violence, and the practice of sexual assault law. Emphasis will be placed on policy, education and research initiatives within the context of our current legal regime – one which aims to protect the constitutionally protected rights of the accused without causing undue or unnecessary harm to survivors of sexualized violence.

Prerequisite(s): None.
Co-requisite(s): The Law of Sexual Offences (LAWS 2307). Students in the clinic will be required to either have taken this 2-credit course the previous year or be enrolled in the course in the fall term of their clinic year.
Assessment Method: Pass/Fail/Honours
Restrictions: The clinic will be open to second and third-year JD students.