Pathways to Justice Academy
A Youth Civic Engagement Program
Stetson Law's Pathways to Justice Academy, is a free weeklong hybrid learning experience that teaches students how to empower themselves and others to become catalysts for positive social change through civic education and advocacy. Students will engage with law faculty, staff, law students, attorneys, and judges in the local community.
Also, in partnership with Community Tampa Bay's acclaimed ANYTOWN® Advocacy Academy Program, Stetson Law will continue to engage with and mentor interested participants throughout the 2025-2026 academic year.
Civic Engagement
Students will learn how to be advocates in their communities by understanding civil discourse strategies from Stetson Law professors. Courtroom visits and learning the general structure of the United States government will give students a first-hand experience in the civil process.
Social Justice Advocacy
Workshops in social justice advocacy teach students about their rights and a brief history of activism. Current law students provide mentorship by teaching students how to dissect real cases and craft their arguments.
Youth Leadership
Students learn goal-setting strategies to personally advocate for themselves and their communities. Presentations explore how youth have historically shaped civil rights movements. Guest speakers will share their experiences as youth leaders.
Judith Scully
Law Professor Scully is the director of the Social Justice Advocacy Program and co-founder of the Innocence Project at Stetson Law. She specializes in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure as well as issues related to race and American law. Professor Scully is a passionate advocate for racial justice and reproductive health justice in the United States and abroad.
Christine Cerniglia
Law Professor Cerniglia is the director of Clinical and Experiential Education at the college of law. She has created a new course entitled Disaster Law Primer and Externship and Covid-19 and the Impact on the Civil System. Her scholarship is dedicated to disaster law and preparedness, the self-representation crisis, and legal education reform.
Students in the Tampa Bay area who are aged 15-17 are eligible and encouraged to apply.
The 2025 program dates are July 14-18 through both Zoom and in-person interactions on Stetson Law's main campus in Gulfport, Florida. There will be an in-person, pre-program orientation on Saturday, July 12. Participation is free for all selected applicants.
Please submit the 2025 Participant Application below by June 16, 2025.
The applicants selected for the program and their parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified directly via email. We will require a Consent Form signed by their parent/guardian to confirm their participation.
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
