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 2023 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: International Law and Human Rights. Mental Health Law, Social Justice Lawyering, Race and Law, and Prison Abolition and Reform. 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 14, 2023 at 9:00am. You must register by Friday, August 25, 2023 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.
2. Attend the Structure Reflective Dialogue Session on December 4, 2023, from 4pm to 5:30pm. See below for the session description.
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 December 3, 2023, at 11:59pm. See below for more details on the volunteering.
4. Complete a 3-page essay that reflects upon your experiences during the program by Sunday, December 10, 2023, at 11:59pm.  See below for the essay prompts and formatting requirements.  
   
   

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. 

• September 6, 2023, 4-5 pm, International Law and Human Rights,Diane Marie Amann, University of Georgia School of Law
• September 18, 2023, 4-5 pm, Mental Health Law, Alexander Scherr, University of Georgia School of Law
• October 9, 2023, 4-5 pm, Social Justice Lawyering, Christine Scartz, University of Georgia School of Law
• October 25, 2023, 4-5 pm, Race and Law, Gregory Roseboro, University of Georgia School of Law
• November 1, 2023, 4-5 pm, Prison Abolition and Reform, Zohra Ahmed, University of Georgia School of Law
• December 4, 2023, 4 - 5:30pm. Structure Reflective Dialogue Session
  
  

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 3, 2023. Volunteer with a service-oriented organization that provides resources and assistance to vulnerable populations. Reference this list of approved volunteer organizations below. You may submit screenshots from Give Pulse. 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: 3-4 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: Does the legal system protect everyone equally? What can be done to ensure the U.S. legal system protects all citizens equally? Draw evidence and examples from the presentations and your personal experience as a volunteer to formulate a response. Structure your essay as an argumentative response.  
• Submission: You will be added to the Pre-Law Information group on ELC. Submit your completed essay in the Assignments section by 11:59pm on December 10, 2023.  
• 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.