Public Interest Law Certificate
Join our tradition of expanding knowledge in the service of humanity
Rooted in our Jesuit identity, Loyola's JD Certificate in Public Interest and Social Justice prepares you for practice settings in government and the non-profit arena where you will advocate and work in service to others. You'll find robust coursework, many clinical opportunities and resources, and co-curricular activities that will provide you with legal skills to help those in need. Our graduates work in civil and criminal law, represent underserved populations, and work to protect legal rights.
Curriculum
There are three requirements for the Public Interest and Social Justice Certificate: coursework; clinic or externship experience; and co-curricular experience.
Coursework
You must complete one required course and at least 10 credit hours of elective courses in public interest law (four courses). You must earn a B or better in each of the four public interest elective courses.
You must enroll in the required Public Interest Law Seminar course during your second or third year of law school, when you have completed or are in the process of completing your 30 required volunteer service hours and a clinical program or externship.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LAW 389 | Public Interest Law Seminar | 1-2 |
| Electives (10 credits and 4 courses minimum) | 10 | |
| Illinois Litigation Racism, Injustice & Poverty | ||
| Labor and Employment Law in the Education Workplace | ||
| Law and Psychology | ||
| Illinois Criminal Law and Policy | ||
| Environmental Justice: Race, Class and the Environment | ||
| Mass Incarceration | ||
| International and Comparative Antitrust | ||
| The Fundamentals of School Law | ||
| Human Trafficking Seminar | ||
| Adoption Law Seminar | ||
| Advanced Criminal Law | ||
| Civil Rights | ||
| Women and Leadership | ||
| International Climate Change Policy | ||
| First Amendment Rights | ||
| Administrative Law | ||
| Climate Change Law & Policy | ||
| Sexual Harassment Law | ||
| Bankruptcy | ||
| Employment Discrimination | ||
| Criminal Procedure:Investigation | ||
| Criminal Procedure: Adjudication | ||
| Human Trafficking: Advancing Protections for Children Practicum | ||
| Consumer Law | ||
| International Human Rights | ||
| Police Accountability | ||
| Street Law | ||
| Cybersecurity | ||
| Business Skills for New Lawyers | ||
| Law and Economics | ||
| Labor Law | ||
| Employment Law | ||
| Title IX Compliance in Higher Education | ||
| Law & Poverty | ||
| Higher Education Law | ||
| Global Access to Medicine: A Patent Perspective | ||
| Restorative Justice Workshop | ||
| Current Issues in Criminal Justice | ||
| Feminist Jurisprudence | ||
| Special Education Law and Advocacy | ||
| Mediation Seminar | ||
| Humanitarian Law in Practice | ||
| Education Law and Policy | ||
| Information Technology and Human Rights Practicum | ||
| Diversity in the Law | ||
| Advising Not-For-Profit Organizations | ||
| Journal of Regulatory Compliance Senior Editor | ||
| National Security Law | ||
| Election Law | ||
| International Arbitration Oral Advocacy | ||
| Leadership in the Practice of Law | ||
| Human Rights in the Global Economy | ||
| Alternative Dispute Resolution | ||
| Design Thinking and Early Childhood Education | ||
| Special Education Dispute Resolution | ||
| Student Disciplinary Hearing Workshop | ||
| Wrongful Conviction Seminar | ||
| Child, Family, and the State | ||
| ChildLaw Trial Practice (Intensive) | ||
| Interdisciplinary Seminar on Domestic Violence | ||
| Juvenile Justice | ||
| ChildLaw Fellows Seminar | ||
| Child and Family Law Mediation | ||
| Children's Summer Institute | ||
| Legal Issues in School Discipline | ||
| Family Law | ||
| Health Law: Patients and Populations | ||
| Mental Health Law | ||
| Access to Health Care | ||
| Health Justice Lab | ||
| Disability Law | ||
| Administrative Law and Health Care Regulation | ||
Comparative International Free Speech | ||
Health Justice Interdisciplinary Lab | ||
Health Justice Lab: Race and Health Equity | ||
Social Justice and the Law | ||
| Total Hours | 11-12 | |
Clinic or Externship Experience
You must complete a clinic, practica, or externship at a government agency or agency that serves, represents, or advocates on behalf of indigent persons, disadvantaged groups, or inadequately protected interests:
- Business Law Clinic
- ChildLaw Clinic
- Community Law Center Clinic
- Education Law Practicum
- Externship (government agency or non-profit organization)
- Federal Tax Clinic
- Health Justice Project
- Life After Innocence Project
Co-Curricular Experience
You must complete 30 hours of public service work. This work does not need to be at one organization and it need not be completed prior to enrolling in the Public Interest Law Seminar.
Applying for Your Certificate
After completion of all requirements, you must complete an application for the Certificate in Public Interest and Social Justice. Submit a completed application to the Director of Public Interest Programming for signature. You must then submit your signed application form to the Law School Registrar's Office.
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supercede school policies.