Law students interested in women's equality can join a student organization, write papers from a feminist perspective, or volunteer to link women's rights and the law.
Though a 1L particularly interested in women's rights activism may be discouraged by the cut-and-dry nature of the first year, which focuses on "bar" courses and not a lot on public interest, there are plenty of ways to get involved in class and outside. If the school doesn't offer a lot of women's rights or feminist focused activities, the student can create her own, make women's rights an academic focus, or go outside the law school and into the community.
Women's Rights Organizations in Law School
Most law schools have at least one organization focused on women. These may differ somewhat in focus and scope – for example, Yale Law School has organizations for women of color, a mentorship group that works with young girls, and a general group called Yale Law Women; Georgetown has a women's basketball club and a group for women of color as well as the feminist Women's Legal Alliance; while UCLA has just one organization called the Women's Law Union.
Those looking for a feminist perspective should be aware that not all women's organizations have this focus – some are more professional or general service groups, and some have no specific focus on women other than the membership itself. For those interested in reproductive rights in particular, though, most law schools do have a chapter of Law Students for Reproductive Justice, a group that works on different reproductive justice legal issues and often partners with community organizations.
Finally, students should consider joining a law journal in the 2L year. Some schools have a journal particularly focused on women or feminism, or on general justice issues. Even for those who don't, however, it's easy to find a niche. Writing a journal note is all about finding a narrow, cutting-edge legal issue, so women's rights topics can easily find their way into a journal about international law, the environment, race, business law, or even just the general law review.
Focusing on Women's Rights in Coursework
Many schools offer courses of particular interest to women's rights activists, but even if they don't, it's possible to inject a feminist perspective, especially by taking seminar courses. While regular courses are all about simply teaching the law according to a set curriculum, seminars allow students to take on individual writing projects with some degree of freedom.
A seminar can allow a student to explore a novel issue of women's rights in the law, or take a new critical perspective on something that's already been hashed out. For example, a student might focus on same-sex marriage in a family law seminar, on the impact of development programs on indigenous women in an environmental law seminar, on the legal treatment of prostitution in a trafficking seminar, or on war-time sexual violence in a law of war seminar.
Community Projects Focusing on Women's Rights
For students who are unsatisfied with the organizations available or the work that they do, there are several options. 1Ls can consider running for a leadership position to make an organization more active. Students can also start their own organization if there is interest on campus. If neither of these appeals, then it can be fun to go outside the law school and see what people are doing for women in the community.
One good way of finding out what's available is going through an undergrad women's rights organization or resource center. There also may be visible organizations in the community such as Planned Parenthood, a domestic violence shelter, or a women's entrepreneurship collective that could use volunteers.
Organizations like Legal Aid may have a section that deals especially with domestic violence issues as well. Law students who are particularly outgoing can also start up an effort in the community – perhaps a Know Your Rights presentation series for women at the local library, a rape prevention and education project, or a tutoring project for girls.
Whatever the opportunities available at the particular law school, this is a great time to get involved and build experience in the field of women's rights. Read More
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