People’s Law School Offers Free Courses to Help Make the Law Accessible

Media Contact: Eric Eckert, 254-710-1964
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by Cerenity Austin, student news writer, Baylor University Media and Public Relations

WACO, Texas (Feb. 14, 2020) — Baylor Law School will host its 15th annual People’s Law School, a half-day of “user-friendly” law courses designed to inform Central Texas communities of their rights in their day-to-day lives.

Courses will run from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Baylor Law School, 1114 S. University Parks Drive. Registration for the People’s Law School is open online, but attendees also will be able to register in person at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Law School.

“Our goal is to give People’s Law School attendees a basic foundation of information that may help them in their everyday lives, as well as to satisfy their curiosity about topics of interest to them,” said Patricia Wilson, J.D., Baylor Law School professor and event organizer. “We wanted to make the law, which can sometimes seem confusing and inaccessible, more user-friendly.”

Since 2006, legal experts and volunteer attorneys have taught courses related to current events, trends in the media and information on legal issues that people encounter regularly.

“It was very well-received the first year we offered the People’s Law School and we are gratified that members of the Waco community and surrounding areas are appreciative of what we offer as part of the People’s Law School,” Wilson said.

New courses offered this year include:

• Animal Law
• City Government 101
• Contesting Your Property Taxes
• Don’t Learn Your Law from the Movies
• Guardianship
• Presidential Power
• Understanding the Supreme Court

“We strive to keep the People’s Law School fresh by offering a number of new courses each year,” Wilson said. “I believe there is sometimes a misunderstanding about the Supreme Court, therefore, we’ll be offering a course on the operation of the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Also, Wilson said the new “Presidential Power” course offers a guide on presidential powers outlined in the Constitution in relation to President Obama’s and President Trump’s applications of those powers.

Some courses, such as “Wills and Estate Planning,” “Family Law” and “Landlord/Tennant Law,” are offered every year because the information is always timely and current.

“If we can help our guests have a better sense of legal issues that might arise in their lives and when they might want to consult an attorney or, if we can help them to be better informed regarding current events, the People’s Law School has been a success,” Wilson said.

The People’s Law School is free and open to the public. Click here for a full list of courses and registration information.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 18,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT BAYLOR LAW

Established in 1857, Baylor University School of Law was one of the first law schools in Texas and one of the first west of the Mississippi River. Accredited by the American Bar Association and a member of the Association of American Law Schools, Baylor Law has more than 7,500 living alumni and a record of producing outstanding lawyers, many of whom decide upon a career in public service. The Law School includes among its notable alumni two governors, members or former members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, two former directors of the FBI, U.S. ambassadors, federal judges, justices of the Texas Supreme Court and members of the Texas Legislature. U.S. News & World Report ranks Baylor Law’s trial advocacy program at No. 2 nationally, while the Law School is ranked No. 48 overall in the magazine’s 2020 edition of Best Graduate Schools. The National Jurist ranks Baylor Law as one of the Best Schools for Practical Training and in the top 15 Best Law School Facilities in the country. The Business Insider places Baylor Law among the top 50 law schools in the nation. In 2015, Baylor Law received the American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, making it only the third law school in the nation to be honored with the award since the award’s inception in 1984. Learn more at baylor.edu/law.