Trauma, Law, and Secondary Re-traumatization: Legal foundations and practice
This course provides a rigorous introduction to trauma science, secondary re-traumatization, and their intersection with legal practice. Students examine how legal systems, procedures, and advocacy can perpetuate or mitigate harm, preparing them to recognize trauma in clients, witnesses, and colleagues.
Key Competencies:
Neurobiology of trauma and legal relevance
Identifying secondary re-traumatization in legal contexts
Institutional betrayal and procedural harm
Case law and statutory analysis of trauma-related issues
Legal Ethics, Institutional Betrayal, and Systemic Harm
Examines the ethical responsibilities of attorneys, judges, and policymakers in preventing systemic harm. Students apply ABA Model Rules, international legal ethics, and trauma-informed principles to complex cases, including mandatory reporting, confidentiality, and advocacy.
Key Competencies:
ABA Model Rules and bar exam content
Ethical leadership in trauma-affected cases
Navigating institutional betrayal and ethical drift
Advocacy and systemic reform
Trauma-Informed Advocacy: Communication, rupture, and repair in legal practice
Develops advanced skills in trauma-informed interviewing, client counseling, and advocacy. Students learn how to handle clinical rupture, restore trust, and support survivor agency in high-stakes legal settings—skills critical for bar exam performance and real-world practice.
Key Competencies:
Trauma-informed interviewing and client counseling
Rupture-repair frameworks in attorney-client relationships
Building trust and credibility
Addressing testimonial injustice and bias
Evidence, Documentation, and Survivor Dignity: Trauma-sensitive legal practice
Trains students in trauma-sensitive evidence collection, documentation, and case preparation, emphasizing ethical and legal standards relevant to bar exam topics such as evidence and procedure. Students learn to protect survivor dignity and ensure records are legally defensible.
Key Competencies:
Trauma-sensitive evidence gathering and chain of custody
Ethical documentation and discovery practices
Protecting survivor dignity in legal records
Navigating cross-examination and testimony with trauma awareness
Law in the Digital Age: Public exposure, social media, and survivor advocacy
Prepares students to address trauma in the context of digital evidence, social media, and public exposure. Students learn to support clients facing online harassment and narrative loss, and to advocate effectively in the digital sphere—skills increasingly relevant for bar exam and legal practice.
Key Competencies:
Legal implications of digital trauma and cyberlaw
Supporting survivors in media and online environments
Narrative agency and digital advocacy
Privacy, confidentiality, and digital evidence management
Cultural Competence, Bias, and Epistemic Justice in Law
Addresses the intersection of trauma, culture, and systemic bias in the legal system. Students learn to identify and mitigate testimonial and hermeneutical injustice, credibility bias, and barriers to justice for marginalized survivors—essential for ethical practice and bar exam success.
Key Competencies:
Cultural competence in trauma-informed law
Epistemic injustice and credibility assessment
Inclusive legal advocacy and policy
Strategies for equity and justice in legal systems