Advocacy through Media

CLASS SYLLABUS

Advocacy through Media
Spring Semester 2020
Thursdays 5:30pm to 7:25pm, room 3

Learning Objectives

Students will learn to use the media to advocate for historically underrepresented clients. Students will roll out an advocacy plan for a social justice issue of their choice in lieu of a final exam.

Course Subject Matter

The class will focus on the following media platforms and advocacy tools:

• Television
  (ethics, interviews, exclusives)
• Newspapers
  (embedding journalists, on and off the record)
• Social Media
  (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook)
• Protests
  (organizing, permits, co-sponsors)
• Rallies
  (press coverage, funding, messaging)
• Petitions
  (calls to action, allies, change.org)

Course themes include legal ethics, negotiations, and litigation tactics. Guest speakers include prominent television reporters, newspaper journalists, organizers, and social justice advocates.

Location and Office Hours

Advocacy through Media is a 13-week, 2-credit course held at Lewis & Clark Law School, room 3, January 9 to April 12, 2020. Students are encouraged to contact the professor at fuller@lclark.edu or 503-743-7000 with any questions, or to schedule an office appointment.  Announcements are made through the class listserv, which uses students’ @lclark.edu email addresses. Announcements are also posted at underdoglawyer.com/advocacy.

Required Readings

Links to all required reading materials are found at underdoglawyer.com/advocacy.

Optional Reading

Case Framing by Mark Mandell

Advocacy through Media Grading

Grades are based on a maximum of 100 points possible. Make-up points are available for missed attendance, participation, or assignments. Make-up points will not impact a student’s final exam score. Failure to demonstrate academic honesty may result in a failing grade. All reasonable requests for accessibility accommodations will be honored. Students seeking information about disability accommodations can speak to Libby Davis, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, with any questions. Grades are assigned as follows:

Criteria / Max. Points

Attendance / 20 points
Participation / 20 points
Assignments / 20 points
Advocacy Plan / 40 points

Total Possible / 100 points

Attendance

To earn attendance points, students should personally attend class having prepared at least one question for the guest speaker. Students can miss two classes without penalty. More than two unexcused absences will negatively impact a student’s attendance score. Students should let the professor know prior to class if they are unable to attend. Students must maintain the law school’s general attendance policies in addition to the criteria below.

Attendance Criteria / Max. Points

Attend all classes / 20 points
Miss one class / 20 points
Miss two classes / 20 points
Miss three classes / 15 points
Miss four classes / 10 points
Miss five classes / 5 points
Miss six classes / 0 points

Participation

To earn participation points, students must attend class having read the weekly materials, ready to engage in class polling, case reviews, oral arguments, and group discussions. Students may always “pass” if called on. However, more than two “passes” will negatively impact a student’s participation score.

Participation Criteria / Max. Points

Attend all classes, no passes / 20 points
One pass or absence / 20 points
Two passes or absences / 20 points
Three passes or absences / 15 points
Four passes or absences / 10 points
Five passes or absences / 5 points
Six passes or absences/ 0 points

Assignments

To earn assignment points, students must participate in class pop quizzes and be prepared to share their answers. Students may always “pass” if called on. However, more than two “passes” will negatively impact a student’s assignment score.

Assignment Criteria / Max. Points

Attend all classes, no passes / 20 points
One pass or absence / 20 points
Two passes or absences / 20 points
Three passes or absences / 15 points
Four passes or absences / 10 points
Five passes or absences / 5 points
Six passes or absences / 0 points

Make-up Points

Students can make up one missed attendance, participation, or assignment point by doing any of the following: (1) Sit in on a television interview, (2) Sit in on an Oregon Trial Lawyers Association Consumer Protection Section meeting, (3) Have coffee or lunch with a guest speaker, (4) interview a local newspaper reporter, (5) Write a short (no more than 1,000 word) blog post about a local case in the media, or (6) write a short (no more than 1,000 word) summary of a chapter of one of the books on the optional readings list.

Make-up points will not impact a student’s final exam score. However, in the event more than one student earns the maximum 100 points possible for the class, the student with the most make-up points will break the tie for the highest grade.

Advocacy Plan

In lieu of a final exam, students will roll out an advocacy plan for a social justice issue of their choice. To earn maximum points, students must effectively use one of the six media platforms and advocacy tools reviewed in the course to advocate for a change in the legal community.

READING MATERIALS

Advocacy Through Media
Spring Semester 2018
Thursdays 5:30pm to 7:25pm, room 3