LD&E Program

The Pre-Professional Advising Office is exited to announce that we will be offering the Legal Disparities and Equity Service Program for the Fall 2024 semester. Read below to find out more about this Experiential Learning opportunity. 

 

The concept of equality before the law is fundamental to constitutional system of governance across the world. In the United States, the Fourteenth Amendment enshrined the Equal Protection Clause into law.  Has formal equality created a just and equitable society? Does it even exist in practice, or does it remain an ideal? What can we do to change things?  

The Legal Disparities and Equity Service Program will give participants the perspective and introductory experience to explore such complex questions. Participants attend a series of presentations from academic and legal experts. This year’s presentations will focus on: Labor Law, Mental Health Law, International Opportunities and Law School, Immigration Law, and Conservation Law. Participants will simultaneously complete volunteer work with underserved or vulnerable populations to earn the Experiential Learning credit.

Registration for the program will open on Monday, August 19, 2024 at 9:00am. You must register by Friday, August 30, 2024 by 11:59pm.

This certificate program is open to all UGA undergraduate students.  

You will receive Experiential Learning credit upon successful completion of all the requirements outlined below. Completion of this program will not appear on your University of Georgia transcript. You can include your experience on a resume or in your personal statement. 

Please note that you need to double check with your college that they have approved this activity for Experiential Learning Credit on engage.uga.edu. If you do not see this listed, speak with your academic advisor to confirm whether or not this program will count for EL.

Program Requirements:

1. Attend four presentations via Zoom. See below for the schedule to confirm that you can attend at least four presentations. The sessions will not be recorded.
2. Attend the Reflective Structured Dialogue Session on Monday, December 9, 2024, from 4 pm to 5:30 pm.
3. Complete at least 50 hours of service-oriented volunteering. Volunteer with approved organizations that serve vulnerable or underserved populations. Submit signed documentation from your supervisor of fifty volunteer hours completed by Sunday, December 8, 2024. See below for more details on volunteering.
4. Complete a 3 to 4-page essay that reflects upon your experiences during the program by Wednesday, December 11, 2024. 
   
   

The Pre-Professional Advising Office is proud to introduce our guest speaks for the 2023 Legal Disparites and Equity Service Program. All presentations will be held virtually via Zoom. 

• Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm, Strikes and Labor Law, Desirée LeClercq, Assistant Professor of Law, Georgia School of Law
• Wednesday, September 11, 2024, 3:30-4:30 pm,International Opportunities for Law School Students, Sarah Quinn, Director of the Dean Rusk International Law Center, Georgia School of Law
• Monday, September 16, 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm, Mental Health Law, Alexander Scherr, Clinical Professor & Veterans Legal Clinic Director, Georgia School of Law
• Monday, October 21, 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm, Conservation and the Law, Steffney Thompson, Land Conservation Clinic Director, Georgia School of Law
• Monday, November 4, 2024, 3:00 - 4:00pm, Immigration Law, Jason Cade, Associate Dean for Clinical Programs and Experiential Learning, J. Alton Hosch Professor of Law & Community Health Law Partnership Clinic Director, Georgia School of Law

Structured Reflective Dialogue:

The last session is mandatory and will give students a chance to discuss and reflect on the topics covered in the various presentations provided by the program. Students will break out into small groups on Zoom and will be given selected prompts to work through using the knowledge gained from the speaker series. You will receive more information on the prompts for the session two weeks prior to the event.

Volunteering:

To earn Experiential Learning credit, complete 50 hours of volunteer work by December 1, 2024. Volunteer with a service-oriented organization that provides resources and assistance to vulnerable populations. DISCLAIMER: It can take a while to set up volunteering opportunities. Do not wait until the last minute.

 

Click here for approved volunteering list.

Click here for the volunteer log.

Essay:

• Formatting: 2-3 pages, 12-pt font, double-spaced 1” x 1” inch margins. For citations use footnotes: Presenter Name, Presentation Title, Date of Presentation. You should cite information that you learned from a presenter, directly analyze, and did not previously know.  
• Essay Prompt: Weill be available in ELC.
• Submission: You will be added to the 2024 Legal Disparities and Equity Service Program group on ELC. Submit your completed essay in the Assignments section by 11:59pm on December 11, 2024. 
• Feedback: You will receive written feedback via ELC. You will receive pass/fail credit for completing the assignment. The essay will not be graded.  

Interested in becoming a speaker for this certificate program on the topic of legal disparities and health equity? Please email Ashley Roseberry agrose@uga.edu.