7577. Role of the DC Lawyer

This two-hour seminar is taught in Washington, DC. It is required for students enrolled in the Semester in DC program and is available only to these students. It offers students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of government-centered lawyering by drawing on three separate sources: (1) readings that examine the special role of the government lawyer and the challenges of operating effectively in the government setting; (2) guest lectures and site visits to agencies during which students meet with senior attorneys drawn from a spectrum of agencies to discuss some of the legal, policy and political issues these lawyers face and the strategies they have evolved for meeting these challenges; and (3) classroom discussions in which students reflect on and share experiences and observations from their externship field placement, drawing upon their field experiences to offer insights into broader, cross-cutting issues that face lawyers in government service. Students will prepare a series of short papers and presentations to convey their emerging knowledge and stimulate discussion of the special role of the lawyer working in or with government.