Seattle University School of Law will celebrate its annual Social Justice Week October 12-18. Social Justice Week is designed to celebrate the school’s social justice mission by introducing new law students to social justice opportunities available throughout King County and beyond, and reinforcing and renewing students’ commitment to social justice.
The week’s events include a CLE, a poverty simulation, practitioner panels, professor brown bags and a culminating Day of Service. Ultimately, Social Justice Week is an excellent opportunity for experienced practitioners to inspire the next generation of social justice attorneys.
Social Justice Week is annually organized by the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), a meta-organization formed by Seattle University law students to build the capacity of student organizations and hold the school accountable to its social justice mission. SJC defines “social justice” as a process that involves critical examination, dialogue and collaborative action on an individual, local and global level that seeks: (1) eradication of historic, systemic, institutionalized and intersectional oppression; (2) equitable (re)distribution of power, resources and opportunities; and (3) empowerment of people and communities to exercise self-determination, to realize their full potential and to live lives of dignity.
An additional goal of this year’s Social Justice Week planning committee is to extend the dialogue to those attorneys who do not consider their work as directly related to social justice. Often, attorneys make social justice impacts in unexpected or unrecognized ways.
An in-house counsel may promote social justice through advocacy for safety features on a hazardous product or assistance starting a new business. A law firm may promote social justice in the course of supporting an environmental nonprofit’s efforts to clean up Washington’s waterways. In addition, many attorneys in traditional lawyer roles promote social justice through membership on non-profit boards of directors, volunteering in legal clinics or acting as pro bono counsel. The Social Justice Week planning committee is eager to highlight some of these stories.
Practicing attorneys are encouraged to attend many of the various events. If you would like attend or become involved in planning an event, please contact planning committee co-chair Kathrine Price at pricek4@seattleu.edu. More information and an events calendar are available at www.law.seattleu.edu.
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