USD Knudson School of Law Introduces Course Focused on Civil Rights
Students are given the opportunity to study the complex specialty of civil rights law and become better prepared lawyer leaders ready to advocate for their clients.
Professor Wendy Hess, J.D., developed and taught the course. She has been interested in civil rights law since she was a law student.
“Civil rights law protections reflect key societal values. Everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us, is entitled to protection from governmental abuses of power,” said Hess. “My hope is to introduce students to the primary procedural considerations of enforcing civil rights under section 1983—the codified name for CRA of 1871—and the real impact it has on individuals.”
For some students, like recent graduate Teagan McNary, J.D. ’26, the course felt particularly relevant to their future careers.
“I took this class in civil rights law because I’m interested in criminal litigation, especially public defense, and wanted to better understand the constitutional rights that come up in that space,” said McNary. “The course definitely made my law school experience better by connecting what we learn in textbooks to what actually happens in practice. It also made me think more about issues like accountability and access to justice. Overall, it reinforced why I want to go into public service and gave me a stronger foundation for the kind of work I hope to do.”
This course created additional opportunities for students to examine how the law can affect people’s lives and become more personable lawyer leaders.
Dean Neil Fulton, J.D., welcomes the course as another example of the array of academic opportunities afforded to USD Knudson School of Law students.
“I am very excited that we are offering a class on civil rights statutes and litigation,” said Fulton. “This is important and complex work that shapes the society we live in. It is reflective of the broad and practical curricular offerings students can take advantage of at USD.”
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