The clinic is run by Cornell students under the direction of Prof. Malte Ziewitz. It is organized as a 4-credit seminar under the course code STS 4040, and enrollment is by application only. In the spring semester of 2022, we’ll meet on Mondays, 9:05–11:00am in Morrill Hall (room TBD).
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until November 20, 2021.
Students should submit an application, including a resume, a short statement of intent, and an (informal) transcript using the online form below. There will be no interview. This year, we are planning to recruit a group of 8 student researchers.
Course format
Clinical programs have a long tradition in legal education, especially in North American law schools. As a method of practical teaching, clinics provide hands-on professional experience to students and pro bono services to individual clients or constituencies. The multidisciplinary Due Process Clinic is not a legal one, but follows the same idea. Student members engage in research and advocacy on behalf of those who could not otherwise afford them.
Project focus
The clinic takes on a different project every year. In the spring semester 2022, our goal will be to explore concrete ways of helping people who feel misrepresented by an automated scoring system.
Answering these questions may involve arranging and conducting interviews with experts and affected people; doing desk research of academic and popular literature; writing up your findings to map and document these stories; and making them available to a broader public. You will receive extensive training in research ethics, qualitative research methods, and the responsible presentation of data.
Time commitment
Expect a workload that is comparable to a four-credit seminar or independent study. Our regular meeting time is 9:05–11:00am on Mondays, but you will be expected to a significant amount of work during the week. We expect to bundle much of the training in the first few weeks to leave ample time for you to work on your cases and be done before the exam period. Please note that the clinic will require a bit more flexibility than other classes. For example, you might have to accommodate the schedule of an external partner or occasionally meet outside our scheduled time.
Eligibility
Any Cornell undergraduate student who is at least in their second year of study (i.e. sophomores, juniors, and seniors) can apply. In terms of backgrounds, we are looking for a mix of people with different (academic and non-academic) life experiences and skills. Engineering, history, computer science, STS, communication, ILR, or comparative literature – whatever your major, you will most likely have something to contribute. Make clear in your application what that ‘something’ is, and how you will bring it to bear on the project. Applicants should be excited to work with people unlike themselves, be able to listen carefully, and to write collaboratively for a broader audience.
*requires Cornell account
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there no course prerequisites?
Since we are aiming for a mix of (academic and non-academic) skills and experiences, it is impossible to name prerequisites that equally apply to every applicant. A strong application emphasizes the specific contribution you can make, which may or may not involve prior coursework.
Who are the clients?
In our first years of operation, we will not yet have clients in the conventional sense. Rather, our goal will be to understand and map the kinds of problems people have. These lived experiences will serve as a foundation for more specific client work in the future.
Will we have an office?
Yes. The clinic is based in Room 407 in Morrill Hall. It is not huge, but should provide enough space to work and meet. You will have access to this room at any time during the semester. In light of the pandemic, we will work virtually this year, drawing on the clinic’s online infrastructure (Cornell Box, Slack, Zoom).
Is there a syllabus?
The syllabus will look different from lecture-based classes in that it is focuses on a specific project. It will be a mix of learning basic research skills (such ethics and interview training), understanding the problem (such as reading and discussing scholarly articles), and hands-on project work (e.g. collecting and representing data). This is what the 2020 syllabus looked like.
How will my work be graded?
Over the course of the semester, you will prepare a couple of research briefings for the group. You will also be asked to keep a simple research diary, in which you will record your activities and experiences.
What if I have further questions?
If you have further questions about the clinic, just email the clinic office at dueprocess@cornell.edu.