November 15, 2024

How ASU Law centers are advancing democracy through student experience

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University has three centers under its Advancing Democracy pathway that serve many initiatives to strengthen democratic principles, institutions and practices within local, national and global societies.

The Academy for Justice
The Academy for Justice works on long-term and short-term research, partnerships and other criminal justice reform efforts. One of its most recent and ongoing notable projects is the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Roundtables and Community Engagement. These roundtables open a dialogue among select ASU Law students and panelists who are experts in their respective fields. So far, discussions have included ideas and innovations in policing, youth engagement, homelessness, mental health and violence.

Center for Constitutional Design
The Center for Constitutional Design promotes nationwide conversations about constitutional reform and the advancement of constitutional democracy. Through the center, participants suggest ways reforms could be implemented to preserve the constitutional system. The center held its first student-led Model Constitutional Convention in May 2024, where 106 law and undergraduate students from more than 70 universities served as delegates for states and territories at ASU Law. During the convention, participants debated 20 amendments to the Constitution, and four amendments were adopted.

Lodestar Dispute Resolution Center
The Lodestar Dispute Resolution Center focuses on skills-based learning, through classes like Negotiation and the Mediation Clinic and advocacy competitions. In the Mediation Clinic, students have the opportunity to mediate several cases through the Maricopa County Justice Courts and the EEOC. In addition to developing their professional judgment, students get repeated opportunities to explain legal concepts and issues to clients and understand how the law impacts people on a personal level.

Students who participate in the center’s advocacy competitions such as the ABA’s Representation in Mediation Competition and the Vis Moot Competition have said they were able to gain a much deeper understanding of the lessons and skills they were learning through these experiences.

 

Written by Crystal Jimenez