Students will enroll in a 3-credit weekly evening seminar that will be taught by the HLDC program director
in Washington, D.C., during the semester. The seminar will provide substantive grounding in law and
policymaking and will complement and enhance students’ externship experiences by allowing them to
explore constitutional, statutory and regulatory issues from multiple perspectives. The seminar will also
include regular “rounds” discussions in accordance with the confidentiality requirements of students’
respective placements. Assigned readings and classroom discussions may include “hot topics” and will
be supplemented by guest speakers. Students will learn how law, policy, process, ethics and professional
responsibility intersect and affect the role of the lawyer in law and policymaking in
the nation’s capital.
HLDC students will be expected to actively participate in classroom discussions and will be required to complete a paper of 15 to 20 pages on their externship or classroom discussions. The paper will require in-depth legal research and analysis. Students must obtain topic approval and must also submit an outline and a draft in advance of the final product.
This seminar will satisfy the Writing 1 Requirement for graduation. Students will be given a letter grade for the seminar based upon the paper and their classroom participation.
