ASU Law Talks
How will law school prepare me to make a real impact in my community?
Kate Rosier
Assistant Dean for Community Engagement and Executive Director of the Indian Legal Program
Kate Rosier (Comanche) brings extensive experience as a former tribal prosecutor and assistant general counsel who has guided more than 1,000 Native American students through legal education while leading national initiatives to increase Native representation in law schools.
When prospective students ask this question, they are rarely looking for theory. They want to know how law school prepares them to contribute to their communities in real, tangible ways. At the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, community impact and public service are not optional experiences. They are foundational to how students learn and how they practice law.
Why does community impact matter in legal education today?
Legal education shapes how future lawyers understand their responsibility to society. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor believed the law is most powerful when it serves people where they live and work. That belief guides ASU Law’s approach to civic engagement, access to justice and public service law.
Modern legal challenges often intersect with housing, family stability, voting rights, tribal sovereignty and small business development. A law school committed to community engagement trains students to recognize these connections and respond thoughtfully and ethically.
How do ASU Law students gain hands-on experience serving real communities?
Experiential learning is central to legal education at ASU Law. Students engage directly with communities through clinics, externships and pro bono legal work while still in school. These opportunities allow students to apply classroom learning to real-world legal issues and build professional judgment early.
Students participate in
- Legal clinics providing supervised representation and legal assistance
- Judicial and public service externships with courts, government agencies and nonprofits
- Pro bono service projects focused on expanding access to justice
The results are significant
- 68,320 hours of public service and pro bono legal work completed in the past year
- 95% of ASU Law students participate in clinics, externships or pro bono activities
These experiences strengthen legal skills while reinforcing the role lawyers play in serving the public.
What types of legal clinics and community partnerships are available?
ASU Law’s clinics and community partnerships address unmet legal needs while preparing students for practice. Under faculty supervision, students work on issues that directly affect individuals and communities, including:
- Civil litigation and court access
- Entrepreneurship and small business law
- First Amendment and constitutional rights
- Post-conviction and criminal justice reform
- Tribal courts and Indigenous community advocacy
These hands-on opportunities allow students to see how legal systems operate in practice and how legal advocacy can create meaningful change.
How does a focus on public service shape long-term legal careers?
Graduates leave ASU Law with more than legal knowledge. They leave with experience navigating real legal challenges and an understanding of professional responsibility that extends beyond the classroom. Whether graduates pursue public interest law, government service, private practice or leadership roles, they are prepared to engage communities thoughtfully and ethically.
Community impact is not a separate pathway at ASU Law. It is part of how students are trained to think about the law, their careers and their role in strengthening society. That commitment reflects Justice O’Connor’s legacy and prepares graduates to make a lasting difference wherever their work takes them.