Legislative Advocacy Clinic

Students in the Legislative Advocacy Clinic engage in legislative advocacy, conducting research, writing policy briefs, drafting legislation, testifying at hearings, and working with policy makers and community partners. Projects often arise from requests by agencies, courts, child advocacy partners, legislative committees, or from current events that affect the system. Clients have included foster youth empowerment groups and other grass roots organizations.

Legislative advocacy students act as lawyers in settings and roles that are different from traditional representation of individual clients. Lawyers as public policy advocates identify problems, develop strategies to solve them, collaborate with other advocacy organizations, interact with court personnel and government agencies, draft legislation and develop strategies to support its passage, and participate in other projects designed to effect systemic changes in the way courts and agencies handle child abuse, neglect, and juvenile delinquency cases.

The Legislative Advocacy Clinic is offered during the spring semester to coincide with the Georgia General Assembly. This Clinic is open to both 2Ls and 3Ls. Students work a minimum of 150 hours during the semester to receive three graded academic credits. To enroll in the Legislative Clinic, students must have taken or be concurrently enrolled in Child Welfare Law and Policy.

APPLICATIONS FOR SPRING 2022 ARE NO LONGER BEING ACCEPTED