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AI for Legal Help is a two-quarter, hands-on course where law, design, computer science, and policy students team up with legal aid organizations and court self-help centers to take on one of the biggest challenges in tech today: using AI to expand access to justice. Students will work directly with real-world partners to uncover where AI could make legal services faster, more scalable, and more effective--while ensuring it's safe, ethical, and grounded in the realities of public service. From mapping workflows to spotting opportunities, from creating benchmarks and datasets to designing AI "co-pilots" or system proposals, students will help shape the future of AI in the justice system. Along the way, they will learn how to evaluate whether AI is the right fit for a task, design human--AI teams that work, build privacy-forward and trustworthy systems, and navigate the policy and change-management challenges of introducing AI into high-stakes environments. By the end, policy lab teams will have produced a substantial, real-world deliverable--such as a UX research report, benchmark dataset, evaluation rubric, system design proposal, or prototype concept--giving students practical experience in public interest technology, AI system design, and leadership engagement. This is the opportunity to create AI that works for people, in practice, where it's needed most. Students from across the university are invited to apply via Consent of Instructor. Students may enroll in up to two quarters, ideally consecutively, so that the research teams are consistent. This is a Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center for Public Service. Cross-listed with the d.school ( DESIGN 809E).

This practicum will prepare for, facilitate, and draw lessons from a multi-stakeholder Roundtable on the legal system's treatment of women accused of homicides that grow out of their experiences of intimate partner violence. The Stanford Criminal Justice Center issued a new report, Fatal Peril: Unheard Stories from the IPV-to-Prison Pipeline, in Summer 2024. On November 12, 2024, we will convene a diverse group of 25 California-based stakeholders -- researchers, advocates, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, corrections officials, and gubernatorial and legislative policymakers -- to brainstorm and develop a consensus-driven set of state-specific legal and policy recommendations in response to the findings of the report. Recommendations will address the continuum of the criminal legal system from law enforcement through parole. The Roundtable will take place at Stanford. Students will be involved in planning the Roundtable, including helping to set the agenda and developing background materials for Roundtable participants, and synthesizing the discussions and recommendations arising from the Roundtable into a Roundtable white paper issued by the Stanford Criminal Justice Center in 2025. Students will write background papers for Roundtable participants on discrete legal and policy issues; help set the Roundtable agenda and facilitate Roundtable discussions; synthesize Roundtable minutes; research promising practices; and help to draft a full Roundtable white paper with law and policy recommendations. During the Fall 2024 quarter, the policy lab will meet on Thursdays from 10:00-11:00 am. The Roundtable will take place on Tuesday, November 12 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and students enrolled in the policy lab will be expected to attend the entire event. One or two students may receive academic credit in Winter 2025 to finalize the white paper. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Paper. Application process: Interested students should submit a Policy Lab application (go to link SLS Registrar https://registrar.law.stanford.edu/) and copy of their resume, transcript, and a one-page statement describing their interest and relevant experience by Friday, September 20 to Debbie Mukamal (dmukamal@ law.stanford.edu).

Policy Client: Governor Newsom's San Quentin Transformation Advisory Council (https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/05/05/san-quentin-transformation-advisory-council/ ). California Governor Newsom created an advisory council in Spring 2023 with the mission to transform San Quentin Prison into a rehabilitation facility. The advisory council has been meeting in Summer 2024 and will be putting forward preliminary ideas to the Governor's office in September 2024, for ultimate inclusion in the Governor's 2024 State Budget in January 2024. Students enrolled in the policy lab will assist the advisory council by providing academic, legal, and empirical research in support of the council's final recommendations to Governor Newsom. Students will also have a chance to meet and consult with advisory council members; tour San Quentin prison, including areas targeted for major renovation; and meet with incarcerated individuals who hope to benefit from the reforms. Application process: Interested students should submit a Consent of Instructor form (see Policy Lab Practicums webpage and https://registrar.law.stanford.edu/) with a copy of their resume, transcript, and statement of interest to Debbie Mukamal (dmukamal@ law.stanford.edu) by September 11, 2023 at 5:00 pm. The statement of interest should indicate relevant expertise. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Paper.

This policy lab maps the law school experience for students with psychiatric or mental health disabilities. It identifies barriers for people with psychiatric disabilities to envision themselves as lawyers, navigating the admissions process, flourishing in law school, and becoming successful licensed lawyers. Law school is a demanding experience, and lawyering is a challenging -- and inspiring -- profession. People with psychiatric disabilities face typical issues that many aspiring and actual lawyers may encounter. However, they also may experience obstacles of bias, unintended bureaucratic hurdles, absent accommodation structures or policies, or challenges due to their disability. Practicum students will conduct a literature review, legal research, and interviews to identify current best practices and needed missing resources. Students will look at the work of advocacy groups for disability, substance use disorder, and formerly incarcerated people, associations for law students and lawyers, programs and policies at ABA member law schools, and innovative programs on mental disability and academia across Stanford's campus. The practicum aims to delineate the law school process, its pinch points, and opportunities for change for people with psychiatric disabilities. The fall term is an initial step to map out difficulties with the current law school process. The ultimate goal of the practicum is policy recommendations for law schools and other key stakeholders to improve the process and successfully integrate people with psychiatric disabilities into the legal profession. The class is open to Stanford law students and available for cross-registration for other Stanford students. Students with personal experience of psychiatric disability are encouraged to apply, but personal experience is not a requirement. It is intended for those interested in the intersectional and multi-disciplinary investigation of the legal profession and disability. Students will work in teams to produce an initial draft and an oral presentation to the class on a designated portion of the overall project. Additionally, the class will meet weekly to consider assigned reading material, meet interested parties, and discuss progress on team projects. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Class Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments. This policy lab will be offered in future terms. We encourage students to participate in subsequent quarters if they can do so. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must submit a Consent Application Form at SLS Registrar https://registrar.law.stanford.edu/. See the Consent Application Form for instructions and the submission deadline.

Over the past 5 years, eviction prevention has become a hot topic for local policy in the US. Local coalitions of city governments, courts, and community groups have launched hundreds of pilots of laws, legal services, rent assistance, technology tools, mediation, navigators, and more in order to reduce the number of eviction lawsuits and mitigate their harmful consequences on families and communities. National groups like the American Bar Association, HUD, and the Treasury Department have issued guidance spotlighting promising interventions that could prevent evictions, reduce the number of forced moves, and improve housing stability. Five years into this work on eviction prevention, what do we know about what works? And how might policy-makers compare and assess these highly localized eviction prevention systems? This class will have students conduct interviews, workshops, and legal research to create a clearer vision of what the state of eviction prevention interventions are, and propose what the future agenda for eviction prevention should be over the next decade. In the course, students will learn how evictions happen, what the general court process is, and how this differs across jurisdictions. They will also familiarize themselves with the landscape of eviction prevention solutions that has developed, especially during the Covid pandemic and the increased federal funding for rental assistance and eviction prevention. Students will learn about local experiments launched in cities and states across the US, including new legislation (like a right to counsel in eviction hearings and just cause requirements for filing an eviction lawsuit), new court rules (like requiring mediation before a case could be filed or proceed to a hearing), new technology (like text message reminders and online dispute resolution), and new services (like case managers and housing navigators). Then students will conduct research with community members, service providers, and policymakers across the country, to learn about their local eviction prevention systems. What pilots have been launched, what has worked, and what has not? What kinds of policies, services, and technology would be the most useful to a person going through an eviction? What does the data show about the impact of different interventions on the number of cases filed, the number of forced moves, the participation rates of tenants in the court process, or other key metrics? In addition to qualitative interviews, students will also do legal and policy research to document how different jurisdictions meet established eviction prevention standards. Which jurisdictions have implemented the legislation, court rules, and due process protections that national groups have recommended? Students will create a policy map that gives a national view of local eviction prevention laws and court rules. Students will create deliverables that can help both national and local policy-makers understand the state of local eviction prevention systems. Class work will include a report that summarizes the interview findings about what eviction prevention initiatives have worked or not, and that recommends an agenda for the next decade of eviction prevention work. It will also include a policy map, in the form of a report and website, that assesses how different regions perform according to recommended standards. As the class progresses, students will determine what other class deliverables might be useful. For example, students might create training materials for local judiciary, bar, and civic leaders on eviction prevention best practices and assessments. They may also propose an ongoing eviction prevention assessment protocol, that national and local leaders could use to regularly measure how robust their local eviction prevention efforts are, how they are performing, and where improvements may be needed. During the class, students will be required to complete a 2 hour online CITI program on ethical human subjects research. They will then follow an IRB-approved protocol to conduct interviews with community members and experts about eviction prevention efforts. The class will be a two quarter sequence. Students will gain expertise and leadership in housing policy, court innovation, and access to justice initiatives. They will have the opportunity to present their deliverables to national and local leaders, and to build lasting relationships in the field. Elements used in grading: Attendance, performance, class participation, written assignments. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must submit a Consent Application Form at SLS Registrar https://registrar.law.stanford.edu/. See the Consent Application Form for instructions and the submission deadline.

This policy practicum will provide students the opportunity to be part of designing and operationalizing an innovative approach to alternative education in San Mateo County. Students will work closely with the County Office of Education, the San Mateo Community College District and the Youth Law Center. Participants in the practicum will be involved in supporting the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) as it re-envisions its alternative education program. In California, the County Office of Education is responsible for educational programs for certain students that are not attending school within their school district. This includes incarcerated students and students who have been referred to the County-run alternative school based on an expulsion from their district due to a disciplinary incident, a referral from the truancy review board, or through their involvement in the juvenile justice system. One of the alternative schools overseen by SMCOE is the community school-Gateway. SMCOE would like to completely redesign the Gateway program while, at the same time, consider changes and improvements in the entire alternative education system, including how students enter the County program and transition out of the program. SMCOE is particularly interested in increasing its collaboration with the community college district, which offers an exciting opportunity for an innovative approach that could be replicated throughout the state. SMCOE has already engaged the National Equity Project to begin this redesign process. Practicum students will work in collaboration with SMCOE, the community college district, the Youth Law Center and the National Equity Project to support the design and implementation of a reimagined alternative school program. Students will conduct research on legal issues, funding, best practices and models from other jurisdictions. They will provide a written to report to SMCOE to assist them in making the new vision a reality. They will also document all steps in the redesign and implementation process to create a useful tool for other counties who might wish to engage in a redesign of their alternative education program. (Note: this final portion of the project will likely be completed in the spring quarter, with both new and continuing students.). In the Winter Quarter, graduate and professional students from law, education, and public policy are invited to apply. R credit (Section 02) is possible only by consent of the instructor. After the Winter Quarter begins, students accepted into the course can transfer from section (01) into section (02), which meets the R requirement, with consent of the instructor. Winter quarter students will have completed internal research memos. The role of spring quarter students will be to synthesize that research and create a public-facing set of recommendations. During the spring quarter we will have the opportunity to present draft recommendations to community partners before finalizing a report for the County Superintendent and County Board of Education. The class will be primarily made up of continuing students but there will be a few spaces available for new students to join, with the instructor's permission. Our weekly meeting time will be determined once we have our student cohort finalized. The weekly meeting times may include a full class meeting and additional small group meetings. Elements used in grading: Attendance, performance, class participation, written assignments. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must submit a Consent Application Form at SLS Registrar https://registrar.law.stanford.edu/. See the Consent Application Form for instructions and the submission deadline.

Globally, more than 1 billion people rely on seafood, yet this source of vital nutrition is chronically neglected in discussions about the future of food systems. In 2021, the UN Food Systems Summit brought international attention to the potential of "blue foods," thanks in part to insights and evidence provided by the Stanford-led Blue Food Assessment. Now, the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning has asked Stanford to help them build blue foods into Indonesia's national development strategy. Indonesia is the 4th most populous country, home to 278 million people and the most marine biodiversity on the planet. Over the next 18 months, we will work with the Ministry, Indonesian researchers, and NGO partners to develop a Blue Food Assessment for Indonesia that can help policymakers realize the potential of blue foods to meet pressing food system priorities -- improving nutrition, food security, and livelihoods, both nationally and in rural communities. This Blue Foods Action Lab is the first of a series to help Indonesia implement a far-reaching national program that could transform its food system and could be used as a model for other countries. For Spring quarter the role of the students will be to evaluate successful programs implemented by other nations in the areas that align with client interests and build from the student progress on topics from the winter quarter (i.e., aquaculture, small scale fisheries, blue food tech and justice and inclusion). A report will be produced and shared with the Indonesian Ministry and our NGO partner. The practicum seeks graduate and well-qualified undergraduate students in such programs as earth systems, computer science, public policy, international policy, business, law, sociology, and marine biology. Policy client: Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning. Graduate and professional students from law, environmental science and policy, marine sciences, food systems, and public policy are invited to apply. R credit (Section 02) is possible only by consent of the instructor. After the term begins, students accepted into the course can transfer from section (01) into section (02), which meets the R requirement, with consent of the instructor. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Paper. CONSENT APPLICATION: An application is required for acceptance into the course available at https://forms.gle/WzXQDpt9Wa6hy7j87 Application deadline: March 13, 2024. Cross-listed with Doerr School of Sustainability ( SUSTAIN 121/221).

This policy lab will launch a significant collaboration between the Los Angeles Superior Court -- the largest court in the U.S., serving a population of 10 million -- and a Stanford research team from the Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession and the Legal Design Lab. Students will work with senior court leaders and the Stanford team to understand the barriers and challenges court users face in eviction and family law matters (Winter Quarter), and then develop an actionable, evidence-based blueprint for an end-to-end process and digital pathway to promote access to justice that can be piloted and evaluated (Spring Quarter). The American civil justice system is in crisis. In roughly three-quarters of the 15 million civil cases filed in America's state courts each year, at least one side lacks a lawyer. Many of these cases involve significant, life-altering matters: debt collection actions, evictions, and family/domestic disputes. Such large, systemic gaps in access to legal services limit who can meaningfully participate in court proceedings, magnifying disparities based on income, education, race, gender, and ethnicity. While the access to justice crisis has many causes, there is mounting evidence that a core part of the problem is the courts themselves. Many courts are difficult to navigate without a lawyer, with inscrutable forms, arcane terminology, and outdated filing systems and requirements. The result is that many people do not engage with the court at all, instead suffering default judgments. And while many courts offer a variety of in-person and digital services to people who need assistance, those services are often hard to access, kludgy, and disconnected. This policy lab will be the first in a series of two, with a second offering in Spring Quarter. During Winter Quarter, students will work with the court to study barriers to litigant access and engagement using mixed-method quantitative and qualitative analysis. Students will analyze existing court data to understand procedural patterns and litigant needs, and they will also help collect new data through surveys, interviews, and focus groups with court users and personnel. This diagnostic work will include opportunities to travel to Los Angeles. Students in the Spring Quarter will use the learnings to design a pilot for a new, end-to-end process that can improve court users' participation rates, their engagement, their sense of procedural justice, and their substantive justice outcomes. The practicum will be led by Professor David Freeman Engstrom, Co-Director of the Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession and Margaret Hagan, Executive Director of the Stanford Legal Design Lab. We hope to draw students from a variety of disciplines from around the University. Technical or data science expertise is welcome but not required. Students need not take both the Winter and Spring quarter practicums, though they are welcome to do so. Law students wishing to undertake R credit will perform additional research or take on additional tasks analyzing the issues and results of the collective research. R credit (Section 02) is possible only by consent of the instructor. After the term begins, and with the consent of the instructor, students accepted into the course may transfer from section (01) into section (02), which meets the R requirement. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments. Policy Client: Los Angeles Superior Court. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must submit a Consent Application Form at SLS Registrar https://registrar.law.stanford.edu/. See the Consent Application Form for instructions and the submission deadline.

Law firms' withdrawal from Russia in the wake of the country's brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 surfaced challenging and timely questions around what it means to practice ethically in an increasingly challenging globalized context. This proposed policy lab explores the role of lawyers in times of conflict and crisis. Western legal professionals have garnered criticism, including from Ukrainian civil society, for their alleged role as "enablers" of Russian aggression, especially by helping sanctioned individuals move and hide their wealth. The role of Western lawyers as enablers of corrupt regimes is not new; a 2006 Senate subcommittee report found that "lawyers help establish offshore structures, draft financial instruments, and provide legal opinions justifying offshore transactions." Congress finally responded with the 2022 ENABLERS Act, which would force lawyers to investigate the source of clients' funds when making a transaction, the way banks currently do. The bill failed in the Senate last year however, largely under pressure from the ABA. With sanctions effectiveness being a focus of the Freeman Spogli Institute's McFaul-Yermak International Sanctions Working Group, this SLS policy lab would contribute a unique perspective to a live area policy debate at Stanford and Washington. Students would have the chance to consider the duties of lawyers towards clients credibly linked to ongoing human rights abuses and war crimes, assessing current ABA guidelines, constitutional due process guarantees, recent policy developments like the 2022 ENABLERS Act, and the perspectives of local civil society in Ukraine and other affected areas. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments. Only students who participated in the prior quarter's project will be admitted to the spring quarter practicum. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must submit a Consent Application Form at SLS Registrar https://registrar.law.stanford.edu/. See the Consent Application Form for instructions and the submission deadline.