Movement lawyering

This unit will explore the theory and practice of lawyering in service of social movements, drawing on case studies (e.g. the climate crisis) and critical scholarship from around the world. Topics are likely to include the history and ethics of cause lawyering; the strategies and dilemmas of working alongside grassroots movements; comparative perspectives on movement lawyering in the Global South and Global North; and the tensions between legal advocacy and broader political organizing. Students would also examine practical challenges—such as navigating institutional constraints, balancing professional duties with activist commitments, and addressing questions of accountability—to develop a nuanced understanding of law as both a tool and a site of struggle for justice as a lawyer.