Founded in 1980, USD's
Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL) serves as an academic center of
research, learning and advocacy in administrative law; teaches direct lawyering skills in public interest law; represents
the interests of the disadvantaged or underrepresented in state regulatory proceedings; and attempts to make the regulatory
functions of state government more efficient and visible by serving as a public monitor of state agencies.
The
Children's Advocacy Institute (CAI) is an
academic, research and advocacy center dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of California's
children. Through its academic program, CAI trains law students to be effective child advocates, providing
unique clinical opportunities through the Child Advocacy Clinic. Through its research and advocacy component,
CAI represents children in the California legislature, in the courts, before administrative agencies and through
public education programs. CAI's goal is to ensure that children's interests are effectively represented whenever
and wherever government makes policy and budget decisions that affect them.
A joint undertaking of USD Legal Clinics, School of Leadership and Education Sciences and USD Counseling Center, COMPASS helps families cope more effectively with the challenges and needs presented by having a child with a disability or chronic illness. Offered by upper division law students under the supervision of an attorney, education advocacy assistance at COMPASS provides legal services that range from advice and consultation to formal mediation to due process hearings. Consultations are free and can assist parents in navigating the laws and regulations regarding special education.
The
Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC) is a non-profit academic
and research center of the University of San Diego School of Law that studies energy policy issues affecting
the San Diego region and California. EPIC integrates research and analysis, law school study, and public
education, and serves as a source of legal and policy expertise and information in the development of
sustainable solutions that meet our future energy needs.
On August 30, 2006, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia gave a lecture marking the inauguration of the
Center for the Study of Constitutional Originalism. The center’s mission
is to educate the legal academy, the bar and the bench, law students and the public regarding the meaning of
various constitutional provisions and to evaluate the methodologies appropriate to ascertain their meaning.
The
Center for Education Policy and Law (CEPAL) is a joint
undertaking of the USD School of Law and the School of Leadership and Education Sciences. Established by a grant
from the William D. Lynch Foundation in 2007, the center’s mission is to foster better communication and
cooperation between educational research, policymaking and practice.
The
Institute for Law and Philosophy was established at the University of San Diego in the fall
of 2000. The fundamental goal of the institute is to unite philosophical issues with jurisprudence. This is accomplished
through a variety of programs designed to explore and educate regarding the various philosophical issues that arise from
legal doctrines, legal institutions and legal practice. Such programs include roundtable discussions, academic conferences,
public lectures and educational programs. The institute selects the leading academics, lawyers, and judges who define the
topic at hand, and invites them to engage in discussion that ultimately is later published, discussed and/or edited.
The Center for Corporate and Securities Law helps enrich scholarly and popular debate on a wide range of issues related to corporate governance, financial regulation and other business law topics. The center hosts academic and public conferences, publishes papers and discussions from those conferences, provides point-of-contact for popular and business media on issues of broad public interest, supports faculty and student research, and sponsors public lectures.
The Center for Intellectual Property Law and Markets trains students in the fundamentals of intellectual property laws and in the ways clients use intellectual property (IP) rights to compete in real-world markets. USD's focus on the role of IP rights in markets distinguishes it from other, more traditional IP centers. It also provides a forum where lawyers, clients, judges and policymakers can share ideas about IP doctrines and policies. The center's policy workshops also provide opportunities for students and community members to engage discussion about current IP policy issues, focusing on the intersection between economic analysis and IP policy.
