Interdisciplinary Problem Solving (Law)

SW741, Section 002

Through a team-based, experiential, and interdisciplinary learning model, small groups of U-M graduate and professional students work with faculty to explore and offer solutions to emerging, complex problems. This course is offered through the Law School’s Problem Solving Initiative and the topics vary by semester.

Topic Description / Additional Information

Each year, roughly 250,000 children enter the foster care system. Studies show lengthy stays in foster care harm children, yet they continue to languish in the system for too long. Kids who leave the system often experience instability in the homes of their birth parents and others, or on their own if they age out of the system. In this class, multidisciplinary student teams will hear from leading state and national foster care experts, and they will incorporate insights from law, social work, policy, and other fields. Students will also examine systems that contribute to the problem, including courts and child welfare agencies. At the conclusion of the course, students will present identified solutions to key stakeholders who can implement reforms.

Course Codes