Trauma and the Law: Foundations for understanding secondary re-traumatization
This foundational course introduces pre-law students to the science of trauma and secondary re-traumatization, with a focus on how legal systems can perpetuate or mitigate harm. Students examine trauma neurobiology, institutional betrayal, and the impact of legal procedures on survivors.
Key Competencies:
Neurobiology of trauma and stress
Understanding secondary re-traumatization in legal contexts
Institutional betrayal and procedural harm
Case studies of legal system impact on survivors
Legal Ethics and Systemic Harm: Preventing institutional betrayal in practice
Explores the ethical responsibilities of legal professionals in preventing systemic harm and institutional betrayal. Students learn to apply ABA Model Rules and international legal ethics to trauma-affected cases and develop strategies for ethical advocacy and leadership.
Key Competencies:
Legal ethics in trauma-affected cases
Identifying and preventing institutional betrayal
Ethical leadership and advocacy
Complex ethical decision-making in legal systems
Trauma-Informed Advocacy: Communication, rupture, and repair in legal practice
Focuses on trauma-informed communication and advocacy skills for working with survivors, witnesses, and colleagues. Students learn advanced interviewing, rupture-repair models, and strategies for restoring trust and credibility in high-stakes legal environments.
Key Competencies:
Trauma-informed interviewing and advocacy
Rupture-repair frameworks in attorney-client relationships
Building trust and supporting survivor agency
Addressing credibility bias and testimonial injustice
Evidence, Documentation, and Survivor Dignity: Best practices for legal professionals
Trains students in trauma-sensitive evidence collection, documentation, and case preparation. Emphasizes recognizing and avoiding re-traumatization in discovery, protecting survivor dignity, and ensuring legal records are accurate and ethically sound.
Key Competencies:
Trauma-sensitive evidence gathering
Ethical and legal standards for documentation
Protecting survivor dignity in the legal record
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, narrative loss, and digital re-traumatization, and to advocate effectively in the digital sphere.
Key Competencies:
Legal implications of digital trauma
Supporting survivors in media and online environments
Narrative agency and digital advocacy
Cyberlaw and trauma-informed legal practice
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.
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