“Sharing knowledge, shifting power.” This is how Hallie Jay Pope, a visiting professor at the University of Utah, would describe the Creative Advocacy Lab, CAL.
CAL is an innovative course dedicated to enhancing access to justice and making legal information more accessible to the public. In 2021, Pope joined the S.J. Quinney College of Law to help establish CAL, where students collaborate to research complex law and policy issues, conduct community research, translate legal concepts, and more. Participants develop skills in collaborating with lawyers, storytelling, design, and building and maintaining professional relationships.
Throughout the course, students were able to branch out from their typical law schoolwork. They began by attending a People’s Legal Aid education training. Then, they got together to create a storybook that will be available in print and digital. The storybook strives to teach law in a simple way and includes two stories that feature a character who has been evicted. The first story shares what happens as someone who does not understand the housing laws is evicted. The second story shares how the character benefits by being in a tenant union.
Pope was honored with Community Engaged Learning’s 2023-2024 Public Service Award through the Office of Undergraduate Studies. The award aims to assist faculty in fostering and enhancing community partnerships. Pope expressed that the support from the award was “crucial throughout this project, mainly in doing deep community engagement.” The merits of thoughtful community engagement are evident. The award is used to recognize community members for their time and participation in the design process.
“Community engagement is an essential part of a student’s exceptional educational experience,” says T. Chase Hagood, vice provost for student success. “Aligning Community Engaged Learning with the educational goals and outcomes of an undergraduate education ensures that all students at the state’s flagship university have opportunities for transformational, impactful, and intentionally designed coursework.”
According to Pope, Utah is at the forefront of the legal innovation space, which provides a unique opportunity to explore new approaches to legal challenges.
“Truly meaningful legal change doesn’t come from lawyers or professionals, it comes from the people who are impacted by social problems,” shared Pope.
Pope stresses that now is the time to learn about your legal protections and see how you can help with community engagement.
Pope would like to acknowledge the CAL students who made this work possible. They include Andrew Creer, Nicole Briceno, Haley Kendall, Maria Fernandez, Layne Huff, and Lauren Harvey. She would also like to recognize People’s Legal Aid, SLC Housing 4 All, and Renters Justice Coalition, along with the Pro Bono Initiative, Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership, and the Christian Center of Park City, who helped facilitate feedback from the community.