Clinic - LGBT Advocacy

Students contribute to the struggle for LGBT equality by representing LGBT people in a variety of civil legal matters. Working in teams, clinic students represent diverse members of the LGBT community on many different issues, including obtaining legal name changes and changing gender markers on identity documents for transgender clients, filing adoption petitions for LGBT parents seeking a legal relationship with their children, assisting LGBT people in obtaining divorces and other family law relief, helping transgender women incarcerated in men's prisons obtain medical care and protection from sexual assault, and filing complaints on behalf of LGBT people facing discrimination at school, at work, or in public accommodations. Clinic students have the opportunity to handle all phases of the representation: interviewing and counselling clients; researching and writing all briefs and motions filed; and appearing on the client's behalf at any scheduled court hearings. Students will develop skills such as interviewing, client counseling, fact-finding, legal research, brief-writing, negotiating on behalf of clients, public education, and conducting hearings. Seminar Credits: 2.00 Seminar: The clinic includes a 2-credit seminar designed to deepen students' knowledge of relevant substantive and procedural law and develop lawyering skills related to advocacy for LGBT people. We also reflect on how lawyers can most effectively contribute to the struggle for social justice on behalf of marginalized LGBT communities.

Enrollment Notes:
Students enroll for one semester only, but may enroll for subsequent semesters with permission of the instructor.