UW School of Law > Clinical Law Program > Clinical Law Program > Street Law > Student Information

Information for Students

One of my favorite parts of teaching is how much I always learn throughout the process. First, I know that teaching this class has greatly increased my substantive knowledge of the law in several areas. The level of understanding required to teach legal concepts is often much higher than the level we are at as students when we first learn them. Because of this I was forced to think about things I had already learned in a new way and force myself to really understand them so that I could explain them to my students and answer questions.  
-Andy Jennings, Street Law Teacher, Class of 2009
Teaching and lawyering are similar in several practical ways. First, both teaching and lawyering require an incredible amount of preparation. In the first few weeks of Street Law, I remember being surprised how long it took me to prepare for a 50-minute class. I needed to review old information and to research new information, regularly applying my legal research skills. For both lawyers and teachers, much of this preparation work is not completely recognizable. An appellate attorney will prepare herself in order to be able to respond to every pertinent question, even if the judges choose not to question her on the issue. So too, when I prepared for my class on Family Law, I prepared material on the Defense of Marriage Act even though the students never actually asked about it.  
-Emily Alvarado, Street Law Teacher, Class of 2009

Areas of Substantive Law Covered

  • Criminal procedure
  • Family law
  • Consumer law
  • Individual rights
  • Torts
  • Trial Practice

Where We Teach:

  • Seattle School District High Schools

Skills Focus:

  • Public Speaking
  • Communicating complex subjects to lay audiences
  • Planning and preparation
  • Team work
  • Professional Accountability

Street Law (B514) - Gold
Quarters Offered: Winter-Spring
Credits: 4 credits per quarter
Required Quarters: 2
Number of Students Accepted: 16-20
Eligible Students: 2Ls, 3Ls
Selection Basis: Lottery
Prerequisite: None
Recommended Courses: None

Last updated 4/6/2012