RWU法律引入种族和法律必修课程

布里斯托尔,R.I.2021年6月28日 ——今年秋天, Roger Williams University 法学院 will become one of just a handful of law schools nationwide to introduce a new required course on the subject of “种族 & 将“美国法律基础”纳入其核心法律课程.  

在这些学校中, RWU法律 is one of the first to have already piloted its course – to excellent student reviews – as a spring elective. The course is designed to provide “both a historical overview and a current assessment of how race has played a role in American law and provide critical analytic 太ls students can bring to all aspects of their legal education and future practice.(详细说明见下文.)

经过三年的战略规划和一年的国家清算, RWU法律 designed a course aimed to improve critical thinking about the law by offering important and often overlooked perspectives on race, and to prepare students for the fast-evolving legal landscape in which they will soon be practicing.

“我们做了我们一直在做的事情, 哪一个是做对学生最好的事情,RWU法学院院长Gregory W. 鲍曼. “开设这门课程完全符合我们学院更大的社会正义使命. 这是我们需要做的事情, 一些变革, something that will better equip our graduates to work within the legal system to create a world that is more equitable for all.”

自RWU法的多样性战略计划通过以来 & 2017年入选, the law school has been committed to addressing issues of inequality and social justice as a core part of the curriculum. 学生, 尤其是学校黑人法律学生协会(BLSA)分会的成员, 明确表示他们非常关心法学院进一步履行这一承诺吗. 

“在乔治·弗洛伊德被谋杀之后, BLSA students told us that we needed to do more to help educate all students about the ways in which the legal system perpetuates racial hierarchies,杰瑞德·戈德斯坦教授说, RWU法学院负责学术事务的副院长. “教员们一致认为，我们应该开设一门关于种族和法律的必修课, 每个学生都会选的课程. 做出这一改变将有助于我们执行我们长期以来致力于的使命.”

2020年6月，RWU法学院投票决定在2021年春季开设试点课程.

“我们是领导者，不是局外人，”鲍曼院长强调. “我们学生的意见和观点对改进我们的课程非常有帮助. 事实上, the ABA is considering changes to law school accreditation that would require this sort of academic programming for all law schools in the future. 在RWU法学院，我们致力于引领这一变革.” 

Goldstein explained that the class – which will be a required part of the second-year curriculum –provides a service to students by introducing them to the real world in which American law has evolved.

自成立以来, Roger Williams has been committed to preparing our students to confront the many challenges they’ll face as lawyers,戈尔茨坦说. “A crucial ingredient in that 培训 is for students to understand the role of the law in creating and sustaining existing power structures, 包括按种族分配权力的不公平. 学生 who understand the connections between race and law will be better lawyers and better prepared to work for justice.”

为了在学生参与和投入的情况下发展和完善课程, 该学院在2021年春季学期将其作为选修课引入, 由戴安娜·哈塞尔教授共同授课, Nadiyah亨伯河, 和妮可·迪斯勒夫斯基. 这是一次巨大的成功.

“比赛的领航员 & 《网赌的十大网站》这门课对学生和教师来说都是革命性的,哈塞尔说. “The course created a desire to learn more about the systemic ways in which racial hierarchy has been created and supported by the law.  参加该课程的学生将在他们的法律职业生涯中继续探索.”

学生们同意她的评价.

“在我19年的正规教育中, 这是我上过的最好、最让我大开眼界的课,布鲁克林·克罗克顿说, 来自罗切斯特的RWU法学院三年级学生, N.Y. 当课程开始的时候, 我以为我知道的比我知道的多, 因为我自己就是非洲裔美国人. 我认为我已经很好地掌握了法律如何与非裔美国人问题和历史交叉, 因为我是伴随着它长大的. But I’d say about 90 percent of the course content was totally new to me – and I was a Africana Studies minor, 太!”

多米尼克·加尔加诺(Dominick Gargano)是北卡罗来纳州莫里斯敦RWU法学院的三年级学生.J.他说，作为一名白人男性，他没有受到“教化”的感觉.”

“我们在这门课上真正学习的是历史，是事实信息，”他说. “这不是某件事的‘版本’，也不是一种解释. 我们在做我们在其他法律课上做的事情:看事实. 然后处理这些信息, 然后你开始思考我们能做些什么让事情变得更好.” 

Gargano added that he agreed with RWU法律’s decision to make the course a required part of the curriculum. 

“在我看来, the last few years in this country have highlighted some of the social justice issues we need to tackle, 包括系统性种族主义,他说. “This course offers an exploration and explanation of how we got to where we are – including lack of empathy, 缺乏教育, 缺乏理解, 太多刻板印象. 我的意思是, 我们在生活中都要奋斗, but people should not be struggling because of the color of their skin or any other immutable characteristic. 我们的职业是多样化的. 我们有不同肤色和种族的男男女女, 这门课传达的信息是相互理解所必需的.”

“罗杰·威廉姆斯在这个球场上所做的一切对每个人来说都是绝对必要的,克罗克顿同意了.  “我认为这会让人们非常不舒服, 但我也认为，面对这一挑战，我们不能回避或退缩，这一点很重要. 你在课程结束时拿走的东西, 作为未来的律师, 是不可缺少的知识和理解的巨大财富吗.”

“种族 & 《网赌的十大网站》 “This course will provide both a historical overview and a current assessment of how race has played a role in American law and provide critical analytic 太ls students can bring to all aspects of their legal education and future practice. 这门课程将探讨创造和延续种族等级制度的方式, 有利于那些被认为是白人的人, 影响了美国法律的发展. 白人至上主义和种族等级制度在当前制度中所扮演的角色也将被涵盖. 法律教育和法律专业等制度的运作和种族影响, 刑事系统, 移民, 房地产市场, 公共教育也将得到解决. 最后, the course will take a critical look at current anti-racist approaches and tactics and explore ways in which unjust/or discriminatory systems can be dismantled. This is a novel course team-taught by three faculty members for the purpose of integrating these important topics into the larger law school curriculum.”

关于RWU法律: 罗德岛唯一的法学院, 罗杰威廉姆斯大学法学院为学生提供严格的, 亲自动手的, 在一个有利的环境中负担得起的法律教育. RWU法律 has been a leader in providing experiential and pro bono education opportunities for its students, 并且有着杰出的学术成就, 完成校友, 以及与法官和律师的深入接触.

关于RWU: 在布里斯托尔的海岸和普罗维登斯的中心，R.I., Roger Williams University is a forward-thinking private university committed to strengthening society through engaged teaching and learning. 在RWU, 小类, direct access to faculty and guaranteed opportunity for real-world projects ensure that its nearly 4,000名本科生，以及数百名法律系学生, graduate students and adult learners – graduate with the ability to think critically along with the practical skills that today’s employers demand. 罗杰·威廉姆斯在美国高等教育中处于领先地位, 面对学生和家庭面临的最紧迫的问题——不断增加的成本, 不断上升的债务和就业准备.