Leading Social and Legal Change (Jealous/Schwartz)
Additional Information
Skills Training
Oral Presentations
Expository Writing
Other Professional Skills:
Grading
15% Participation,
30% Exam,
25% Paper,
30% Other (Active participation including co-leading a section one session 15%
3 Written Reflections: 30%
Short paper 25%
Final: develop a personal leadership philosophy and action plan 30%
)
No
Class meets in person.
Meeting Times/Location
F 9:50AM - 12:30PM
Tanenbaum Hall 112
Category
Upper-Level
Credits
3.0
So You Want to Change the World? Taught by Ben Jealous—civil rights leader, tech investor, and 2018 candidate for Governor of Maryland—and Dr. Ariel Schwartz, Managing Director of Penn’s Center for Social Impact Strategy, this class invites students to pick their One Big Thing and explore multiple paths for making real social change. The semester will be split into four sections. In the introductory section, students will find ways to translate personal passion for social change into a clearly articulated goal and explore what it means to lead with heart. The next three sections will dive into different ways to solve big problems in our communities, our country, and the world: social impact tech start-ups, running for office, and leading an issue campaign. Occasional guest lectures by master practitioners will help us concretize what we are learning. Students will cultivate their own vision and approach to leading social change. Student involvement will include co-leading at least one discussion section and writing four short essays—one articulating your “One Big Thing” (impact goal) and three reflections on the approaches we explore. The final assignment will be an oral presentation for solving the challenge you have identified. The course will feature lively discussion and interactive ways of grappling with solving tough social problems. This class will be challenging, fun, and likely very different from your other courses.
Skills Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of the individual course skill; Demonstrate the ability to receive and implement feedback; Demonstrate an understanding of how and when the individual course skill is employed in practice.
Perspectives on the Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of how the law affects, and is affected by, the individual course topic; Perform legal analysis in the context of the individual course topic; Communicate effectively on the legal and other aspects of the individual course topic; Demonstrate the ability to use other disciplines to analyze legal issues relevant to the individual course topic, including economics, philosophy, and sociology, as appropriate.
Professional Responsibility and Ethics Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of how the law affects, and is affected by, the individual course topic; Perform legal analysis in the context of the individual course topic; Communicate effectively on the legal and other aspects of the individual course topic; Demonstrate the ability to use other disciplines to analyze legal issues relevant to the individual course topic, including economics, philosophy, and sociology, as appropriate.
Public Interest Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of the varied legal aspects of public interest law; Perform legal analysis in the context of public interest law; Communicate effectively on topics related to public interest law; Demonstrate an understanding of how public interest law is connected to and affected by a wide variety of legal and regulatory structures and doctrines.
Equity and Inclusion Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of the varied legal aspects of equity and inclusion; Perform legal analysis in the context of topics related to equity and inclusion; Communicate effectively on the legal aspects of equity and inclusion; Demonstrate an understanding of how equity and inclusion are connected to and affected by a wide variety of legal and regulatory structures and doctrines.
Textbooks
"Engines of Liberty" by David Cole |