Center for Government Law and Public Policy Studies
Based out of our Carlisle location, the Center leverages its proximity to the state capital and nation's capital to provide students with a wide range of experiential learning opportunities in government agencies and nonprofit public policy organizations at the state, local, national, and international levels.
The mission of Penn State Dickinson Law’s Center for Government Law and Public Policy Studies is to perform four core functions:
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Provide high-quality and rigorous experiential learning opportunities for Penn State Dickinson Law students in government agencies and nonprofit public policy organizations at the state, national, and international levels;
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Sponsor programs, speakers, and academic symposia that will enrich the academic environment for our faculty, staff, and students;
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Promote and encourage Dickinson Law faculty research and scholarship on legislation, government regulation, and public policy issues; and
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Develop and facilitate community outreach and service activities for government officials and lawyers who practice in government and in public policymaking organizations.
Academic Opportunities
Semester in Washington, D.C.
The Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program allows students to spend a semester of their final year of law school in residence in Washington, D.C. working four days a week at a government agency or nonprofit organization. Students in the Washington, D.C. Program also take a seminar on Federal Regulatory and Legislative Practice taught in Washington, D.C. by former House of Representatives General Counsel and Dickinson Law Distinguished Fellow in Law and Government Stanley M. Brand. Students participating in the Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program can choose from a wide range of externship opportunities relating to federal and international law practice and careers.
Semester in Harrisburg
The Semester-in-Harrisburg Program allows students to spend a semester of their final year of law school in Harrisburg working three days a week at a state government agency or nonprofit organization focusing on state law issues while taking law school courses related to their placement and career goals. Students obtain in-depth exposure to state government practice while remaining resident at Dickinson Law’s historic Carlisle campus.
Certificate in Government Affairs
The Government Center offers a Certificate in Government Affairs to students who complete an approved course of studies in government law and policy. Students have the opportunity to tailor their certificate program to their career goals and interests, and can focus on state, national, or international law studies.
Guest Speakers and Special Programs
The Center sponsors programs, speakers, and academic symposia that enrich the academic environment at Penn State Dickinson Law for students, faculty, and staff. Recent guest speakers have included former Watergate special prosecutor and 9/11 Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste, nationally prominent health law policy advocate Wendell Potter, and nationally recognized ethics expert Professor Kathleen M. Clark at programs on ethics in government, health care law policy, and whistleblower law.
Research and Scholarship
The Center also promotes and encourages Dickinson Law faculty research and scholarship on legislation, government regulation, and public policy issues, and develops and facilitates community outreach and service activities for government officials and lawyers who practice in government and in public policy-making organizations in state capital region.