- About
About USC Gould
USC Gould is a top-ranked law school with a 115-year history and reputation for academic excellence. We are located on the beautiful 228-acre USC University Park Campus, just south of downtown Los Angeles.
- Academics
Academics
Learn about our rigorous and interdisciplinary curriculum, our invaluable experiential learning opportunities, and the breadth and depth of our specialized areas of concentration and certificate offerings.
- Admissions
Admissions
USC Gould helps prepare you for a stellar legal career. You can pursue a JD degree, one of our numerous graduate and international offerings, or an online degree or certificate.
- Students
Students
Participate in an unparalleled learning experience with diversity of people and thought. Get involved in the law school community and participate in activities that enhance your studies.
- Careers
Careers
We work closely with students, graduates and employers to support successful career goals and outcomes. Our overall placement rate is consistently strong, with 94 percent of our JD class employed within 10 months after graduation.
- Faculty
Faculty
Our faculty is distinguished for its scholarship, as well as for its commitment to teaching. Our 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio creates an intimate and collegial learning environment.
- Alumni and Giving
Alumni and Giving
The global Trojan network of more than 10,000 law alumni and donors include recognized leaders in numerous fields who are deeply committed to supporting student and law school success.

Course Descriptions
- DEGREES
- CERTIFICATES
- + AREAS OF CONCENTRATION
- ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
- BUSINESS LAW
- MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND TECHNOLOGY LAW
- PUBLIC INTEREST LAW
- + EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
- UNDERGRADUATE COURSES AND PROGRAMS
- CORPORATE AND CUSTOM EDUCATION
- + NON-DEGREE PROGRAMS
- ACADEMIC CALENDAR
- COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
- BAR ADMISSIONS
Children and the Law (Fall 2019)
- Course Number: LAW-723
- Class Number: 03411
- Instructor: Dara Barker
Course Description
Co-taught with Judge Amy Pellman
This class explores the unique role of children in our legal system, looking at children as victims, perpetrators, witnesses, and even property. We will discuss the underlying and often conflicting rationales for these laws with a focus on how representation of children differs dramatically from representation of adults, both theoretically and practically, as well as how the presence or absence of minor’s counsel in these areas affects outcomes. Areas of law to be covered include: Dependency Law (the treatment of children as victims of abuse and neglect), Delinquency Law (the treatment of children as perpetrators of crimes), Family Law (custody and surrogacy proceedings affecting children), Probate Law (children as the subject of guardianship and inheritance proceedings), and Parental Termination (termination of parental rights for private adoption). In addition to lively class discussion, the class will offer the opportunity to meet prominent legal experts from a variety of legal backgrounds. The objective of this class is for students to learn to think critically and practically about the role of children in various legal areas.
Course Details
- Unit Value: 2
- Grading Options: Numerical or CR/D/F
- Exam: In-class exam
- Writing Requirement: No
- Skills/Experiential Unit Requirement: No
- Participation: Graded
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