Law and Policy Lab

Engagement in public policy is a core mission of teaching and research at Stanford Law School.  First-year courses explore the policies underlying basic legal doctrines, and advanced courses focus on policy in areas ranging from intellectual property to criminal justice.  The Mills Legal Clinic gives students direct experience counseling and advocating for clients on both law and policy issues, and many of the law school’s centers, programs, and journals engage students in policy research and scholarship. A new venture in experiential learning deepens this commitment to policy: The Law and Policy – Stanford’s unique policy incubator – is finding solutions to some of our most pressing issues.

Under the guidance of seasoned faculty advisers, Law and Policy Lab students counsel real-world clients in an array of areas, including education, copyrights and patent reform, public enterprises in developing countries, and wildlife trafficking.

The Law and Policy Lab reflects the law school’s belief that systematic examination of societal problems, informed by rigorous data analysis, can generate solutions to society’s most challenging public problems.  In addition to policy analysis, students hone the communications skills needed to translate their findings into actionable measures for policy leaders and the communities they serve. The practicums emphasize teamwork and collaboration, and many are interdisciplinary, giving law students the opportunity to work with faculty and colleagues from across the university with expertise in such fields as technology, environmental engineering, medicine, and international diplomacy, among others.