Economic Justice Clinic
The Economic Justice Clinic (EJC) works to reduce structural inequality and promote equitable economic development in low-income communities through legal support for community-based organizing efforts in the areas of workers’ rights, housing, and grassroots entrepreneurship. Students in the EJC gain significant advocacy experience and are exposed to structural and policy questions that inform the development of their professional identities and commitment to the public interest.
- Workers’ Rights Component. Students represent clients in the areas of wage theft, retaliatory discharge, and employment discrimination. This work includes representation before administrative agencies and litigation in State courts at all levels, as well as community legal education initiatives.
- Housing Component. Students represent individual tenants in eviction defense proceedings, and support tenant organizations in their affirmative efforts to improve housing conditions. Students also work on law reform efforts aimed at giving tenants enhanced protections.
- Entrepreneurship Component. Students counsel and provide transactional legal assistance to entrepreneurs in low-income communities around issues such as formation of business entities, compliance, governance, and contractual matters. One significant area of focus is cooperatively owned and managed entities that function along democratic principles and help keep wealth and economic resources in low-income communities.
Students in the EJC work in all three of the areas of emphasis. In connection with this work, a number of lawyering skills are emphasized, including client interviewing and counseling, legal research, drafting of pleadings, motion practice, legislative advocacy, transactional drafting, negotiation and collaborative lawyering.
