GGU Social Justice Law Track

GGU Social Justice Law Track

If you’re the kind of person who wants to do more than just advance your career and make the world a better, more equitable place, GGU might be for you! Our Social Justice & Public Interest Law track can help make it possible. Prepare for careers in:

  • Criminal defense or prosecution;
  • Legal aid;
  • Non-profits and government agencies;
  • Businesses and law firms committed to inclusion and diversity; &
  • Public office.

With a curriculum that combines theory with practice, you’ll develop your social justice lens alongside the practical skills necessary to find comprehensive solutions to your client’s most challenging legal problems.

Our nationally recognized professors and alumni are:

  • Judges with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals;
  • Deputy Attorney Generals with the California and U.S. Department of Justice;
  • Criminal litigators with some of the most renowned public defender offices in the country, such as the Office of the Alameda County Public Defender;
  • Attorneys at progressive district attorney’s offices, such as the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office;
  • Civil rights practitioners who fight daily to ensure justice is served for victims of police misconduct; &
  • Executive directors and founders of nonprofit organizations such as the AIDS Legal Referral Panel.

Master Real-World Public Interest Issues

In the first year, students are exposed to a variety of social justice and public interest career paths and begin to gain the legal skills most useful for advocacy. In the second year, students focus on public interest lawyering through a close analysis of case studies and a discussion of recurring issues in public interest practice. Coursework addresses questions of how public interest problems are framed; how clients, lawyers and their allies think about problem-solving strategies; and how public interest lawyers use different modes of advocacy to address problems. Students can also participate on GGU’s Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Social Justice Law Journal and select an experiential opportunity that allows them to practice their skills with real clients and problems.

Learn to Make a Difference

In addition to building a solid foundation in your core class, you’ll customize your learning experience by choosing from electives in areas such as:

Social Justice Is Who We Are

Social justice isn’t just what we teach, it’s who we are. We believe training lawyers and leaders of diverse backgrounds and experiences creates a stronger, more inclusive justice system. We are:

  • 55% of students come from racially diverse backgrounds;
  • 55% are women, the 6th highest enrollment of female students in the nation;
  • 19% identify as LGBTQ;
  • 53% are first-generation college or law school students; &
  • 86% are first-generation law school students.

GGU Law was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the second most diverse law school in the country and given an “A+” grade for diversity by National Jurist.

GGU’s mission is to produce graduates with the skill, judgment, and moral compass to become exceptional lawyers and socially responsible members of the global community. The public needs you. Learn how to get started.