"Service Learning" Brings Real World into Class
by
Mary Pat Treuthart

I have searched for seven years for ways to help my Women in the Law students gain a real-world understanding of the difficulties many women face.

I developed my own materials, and asked speakers to visit the class to provide information. The stories of battered women in particular were powerful in allowing students to gain greater insight into the reality of violence against women. On occasion, I used film excerpts to make specific points.

Still, my teaching methodologies seemed inadequate. As a former legal services program director, I had basic familiarity with some of the day-to-day problems confronting low-income women and women in transition. As a classroom teacher who has also done some clinical work, I had some sense that many students had little occasion to deal directly with people whose life experiences might be radically different from their own.

Last May, a faculty member from the undergraduate division of the university made a presentation at a law school faculty meeting about service learning programs offered in various college courses. He suggested that we consider adopting a similar program. The idea sounded intriguing but a bit daunting. I thought about it for a few weeks; developing the concept was a welcome diversion during exam-grading.

As a result of my own community volunteer work, I was aware of a few agencies that might be interested in participating. I made a couple of phone calls, and the process was underway.

A week before the fall semester began, the university's volunteer services office, which was eager to include the law school, began diligently working to develop agency placements for the 28 students in the class. Some of the agencies had used undergraduate volunteers in the past, but agencies' staffs seemed particularly interested in using the services of law students. The agency contacts previously established by the volunteer services office and the personal dedication of the director, a former legal services paralegal, were essential in allowing me to develop this program within the necessary time frame.

In the past, I had required students in the class to complete three papers for evaluation. I decided to substitute the service learning component for one of the papers and asked the students to keep a journal and submit it periodically throughout the semester for my review. My assessment of the journals counted 25% of the final grade. I also encouraged students to discuss their experiences when we covered relevant subject matter.

A 20- to 25-hour time commitment for each student seemed reasonable; however, two students dropped the course due, in part, to the newly imposed obligation. The remaining students were placed with 15 different agencies. Three of the students developed their own placements in areas of interest to them. The placements ran the gamut from traditional legal work (the Bar Association's Volunteer Lawyer's Project assisting women litigants in domestic relations cases) to volunteer activities completely unrelated to the law (preparing and serving meals at the Women and Children's Free Restaurant).

One unexpected occurrence underscored the issue of sex discrimination. Some of the agencies were unwilling to accept male volunteers because of the sensitive nature of the agencies' work (those dealing with sexual assault victims being a prime example). As a result, it was more difficult to place the five male students, who discovered firsthand the way it felt to have their options limited solely because of their gender.

The experiences of the students varied, but the overall response was positive as documented in their journals and in student evaluations. A few students characterized the opportunity to volunteer as the highlight of their law school education. Some class members who selected less traditional placements remarked that it was refreshing to help others in ways unrelated to their status as law students. The agency response was also favorable, as determined by a questionnaire distributed at the end of the semester.

I consider the "experiment" a success, partly because some of the students continued to volunteer after the semester ended. Along with heightening student awareness of women's issues, promoting a longer-term commitment to public service work was a central part of my not-so-hidden agenda. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss service learning with other law faculty who are interested in integrating this into their classes.