This course will provide an introduction to poverty in the United States and to the response of government and the legal system to the problems of the poor. Students will acquire a basic familiarity with theories about the causes of and solutions to poverty; the principal anti-poverty programs in the United States; the legal problems of the poor (including among others housing, health care, education, welfare, and access to the courts); major and recurring issues in poverty law practice (historical and current); and ethical issues in poverty law. Guest speakers will include leading anti-poverty advocates from Los Angeles and elsewhere. The course is intended to be a mix of theory, doctrine and practical content, and to provide an overview of poverty law practice with an emphasis on law reform and impact litigation.
