The sights and faces he encountered during a class trip to Washington, D.C., still excites freshman Zac Rediford.
“Coming to college I never imagined one of my three-hour class credits would come from a five-day trip to Washington, D.C.,” Rediford said. “I probably learned more about the path I’m pursuing on this trip than I ever would sitting in a classroom three days a week.”
Rediford was one of the Lipscomb students who visited the nation’s capital as part of a course Lipscomb offers called Introduction to American Law.
This opportunity is part of the Institute for Law, Justice and Society, an undergraduate academic program that focuses on how to use law and the legal system to implement social change. The Institute is fairly new and was established by Dr. Charla Long, director of LJS.
This program is unlike many others because it offers various forms of hands-on experience and practical learning.
A unique aspect of the program is “Education for a Cause.” This is a project that spans over the entire semester and Lipscomb is the only school in the nation to incorporate it into their curriculum. Each student chooses a specific social cause of significance and works throughout their educational career to eliminate or improve the cause.
Prior to the D.C. trip, the class attended three meetings in which they learned about important political figures they might encounter, how to maneuver through the city with the Metro system and the sites they could expect to visit.
A few of the sites the class went to included the Capitol, the White House, the Supreme Court, the International Justice Mission headquarters, Arlington Cemetery and the Holocaust Museum.
“The D.C. trip was amazing,” said Rebekah Raymond, a sophomore LIS major. “The best thing was learning about so many organizations working for the greater good of people.
“Some places like the IJM headquarters and getting to speak to our Tennessee senators made me question what I want to do with my career and life. It’s classes like these that challenge us to look at ways of living we never thought of before.”