INCREASING ACCESS TO JUSTICE: THE ATTORNEY’S ROLE (Harrington-Steppen, Roger Williams University School of Law)
This course will explore the legal profession’s responsibility in ensuring access to justice for all. Law students will be challenged to examine their personal role in reducing the “justice gap,” keeping in mind the area of law they plan to pursue. The course will introduce students to the nexus between poverty and unmet legal need; the availability of free legal assistance to low-income Americans; and the history and ethical underpinnings of pro bono as a strategy for increasing access to justice.