For fifty years, Seton Hall Law School has offered clinical courses to train law students
while providing free legal services to the community. In 1970, the law school established
its first free legal assistance program, The Legal Services Clinic, in conjunction
with Essex-Newark Legal Services.
The commitment to serve the community through clinical legal education developed further
over the years, and in 1991, Seton Hall Law School established the Center for Social
Justice (CSJ) as a public interest law firm for the disadvantaged and underrepresented.
The Center for Social Justice is home to most the Law School’s clinical programs as
well as the Pro Bono Service Program. Students who will be entering their final year
of law school can apply to participate in one of the CSJ clinics. Working closely
with experienced faculty in small classes, our clinic students provide valuable legal
services to clients throughout New Jersey and beyond. The CSJ undertakes a combination
of individual client representation, impact litigation, and public policy advocacy
to pursue justice for our clients and the community. Students also write reports
and community education materials, manage social media sites, and offer Know Your
Rights presentations to help educate individuals on their legal rights.
Law students can work with the Center for Social Justice starting in their first year
of Law School by volunteering with the Pro Bono Service Program. We help students
find a placement that matches their interests, fosters the skills they seek to develop,
addresses a community need, and fits with their schedule. For example, students can
volunteer with a 3-hour legal clinic to help pro se litigants with a housing or consumer
law case or they can research complex statutory changes and evaluate legislative reform.
The Center for Social Justice trains law students to become legal professionals who
effect positive and lasting change. We are committed to the pursuit of equitable
treatment for all, through cases and advocacy that challenge systemic racism and seek
just outcomes for our clients. We invite all Seton Hall Law students to join us on
this mission.
Lori Outzs Borgen
Director
Center for Social Justice