LAW 0742:
Disaster Relief Clinic: American Red Cross (SEPA)
Fall 2017 • Section F21
• CRN 27607
Course Description
Third and fourth year evening division students will learn about disaster law and spend the semester gaining real world experience at the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania. By engaging in this work, students will consider the preexisting social inequalities that exist in society and the resulting vulnerabilities that exist in the face of disasters. During the semester, students will participate in four components of this clinical course. In the classroom component, students will learn the major laws, policies and programs governing disaster response, recovery, compensation and preparedness. In the intake component, students will create a legal needs assessment form, respond to disasters, and interview disaster survivors (in partnership with a Red Cross House social worker) in order to identify the most common legal issues that disaster survivors face. The core legal needs will likely involve public benefits, landlord-tenant issues and estate planning. In the research component, students will research the law that surrounds these issues, develop training manuals for handling these cases, and create material explaining the law that is suitable for internal and public dissemination. In the practice component, students will provide direct legal services to disaster survivors and local residents that will address one of the core legal issues €“ estate planning. Students will create a Temple Law School/SEPA Red Cross Estate Planning Day of Service which will occur at the end of the semester.
Schedule
Schedule To Be Announced
Additional Time Requirements
The goal of this course is to provide an opportunity for evening division students to learn about the major laws, policies and programs that govern disaster response and recovery by engaging in real work at the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania. The classroom component is front-loaded and will be held on a Saturday prior to the start of each fall and spring semester and on select Saturdays. For the practice component of this course, students will be required to complete 8 hours a week throughout the semester in the evening or on weekends. The SEPA Red Cross will change the work schedules of the Red Cross House social work staff to allow for flexibility in evening division student schedules.
Registration Info
No Registration Restrictions.
Book List/Materials
No book purchases are required or recommended for this course.