Fair Housing/Fair Lending Course for College and University Students
About Heading link
About
The Chicago metropolitan area contains diverse populations protected under the Fair Housing Act. The City of Chicago Fair Housing Plan points out that “[l]landlords and building owners continue to discriminate against individuals and families based on race, color, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, parental status, military discharge status, marital status, source of income, or sexual orientation.”
Surrounding counties have also identified housing problems. Minority groups in the region continue to experience barriers to home ownership, and the foreclosure crisis is impacting families throughout the region. Informed and dedicated advocates and workers are needed to address these fair housing issues.
Mission
The Fair Housing/Fair Lending course aims to familiarize college and university students with fair housing law and enforcement and lending discrimination and to inspire them to pursue careers in fair housing enforcement and investigation. The program was created to increase public awareness about the importance of equal opportunity in housing and to share information regarding fair housing and fair lending obligations.
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Join Us for Spring 2025: Apply By Nov 4! Heading link
The UIC Law Fair Housing/Fair Lending Course has returned to an in-person platform! Selected college and university students in the Chicago Metropolitan Area will learn about federal, state, and local laws and regulations that assist in eliminating discrimination in housing and preserving homes for vulnerable persons. Students will also be trained to analyze, detect, and address discriminatory housing practices.
Join Us for Fall 2024: Apply By June 10! Heading link
Learn more below and submit an application for consideration.
student benefits
- FREE course for undergraduate or graduate students in Chicago about fair housing and related civil rights issues. Classes will be held on Monday evenings from 6-9 p.m. at UIC Law
- Explore how the law interacts with other social science disciplines
- Receive three (3) semester hours of academic credit, if provided by your college or university. (*Credits will not count towards a Juris Doctor degree if the student later decides to enroll in law school.)
- Attend a career night at the end of the semester where professionals working for fair housing organizations and government agencies explain their work
- Enhance interpersonal and group presentation skills
Note: Due to ABA rules prohibiting the granting of credit towards a juris doctor before a student has taken the LSAT and been admitted to the law school, the credits awarded by this course may not be used towards a juris doctor.
topics
- The Importance of Housing and the Problem of Discrimination
- The Continuing Problem of Racial and National Origin Discrimination in Housing; Advertising Claims
- Different Approaches to Protect Persons with Disabilities – Reasonable Accommodations, Reasonable Modifications, and Accessibility
- Other Protected Classes under the Fair Housing Act – Religion, Sex and Familial Status, and Intimidation and Retaliation Claims
- Fair Lending and Predatory Home Lending Practices
- Judicial or Administrative Enforcement of the Fair Housing Laws
- Fair Housing Alternative Dispute Mechanisms
- Careers in Civil Rights and Fair Housing
- And much more!
community
Participants in the Fair Housing/Fair Lending course are given an overview of fair housing law, law enforcement, land use and zoning, fair lending practices, fair housing investigations and testing, and fair housing alternative dispute mechanisms.
The course consists of lectures, group discussions, presentations by guest experts and students. Active student participation is integral. Students are also trained to analyze, detect, and address discriminatory housing practices. The course will end with a discussion about careers in civil rights and fair housing. The capstone experience required of each participant is a presentation at their home college or university or community open to interested students, faculty, and staff, the general public, and all protected classes under the Fair Housing Act.
Students can earn up to 3 credits in the 14-week course depending upon their colleges or universities policies. Students will be required as part of the course to make a presentation on fair housing law at their home institutions or in the community.
COURSE APPLICATION APPLY BY NOVEMBER 4
Frequently Asked Questions Heading link
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The course is modeled after the Fair Housing Law course offered by UIC Law to its law students. Students interested in law school may benefit from the program, however, the course will be of benefit to all students who are interested in civil rights and liberties.
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The course is not limited to specific majors. The topics covered and experiences provided in the course may be familiar to students majoring in Political Science, Sociology, Social Work, Urban Planning, History, Public Health, Architecture, or Pre-Law, but all interested students are encouraged to apply regardless of their major.
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Yes. Applications are due on November 4, 2024. All applications and applications materials must be mailed to the law school or complete the application online. You can also email your submissions to law-fairhousingcenter@uic.edu. Space is limited.
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UIC Law will award a total of three (3) semester hours of credit for the program. The “home” institution will review the transcript and make a determination of transferability of credit and also determine whether the course can be counted toward the student’s major or minor or can only be counted as a general elective.
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The course will not count toward a law degree. The Juris Doctorate program at UIC Law is accredited by the American Bar Association. Law school credit can be granted only to students who have taken the LSAT and been admitted to the law school. In addition to the academic credit, UIC Law will award a certificate to students who complete the course.
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No tuition or fees are charged to students selected to participate in the course. The program is funded by a grant awarded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Housing Initiative Program (FHIP) and the University of Illinois
Chicago School of Law.
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The primary text, a case book in Fair Housing & Fair Lending Law compiled by Professor Seng. Supplemental books for this course include People Wasn’t Made to Burn by Joe Allen(2011), The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein (2017), Family Properties by Beryl Satter (2009), and Evicted by Matthew Desmond (2016). This list is subject to change. All books and materials are provided free of charge.
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The class will meet IN PERSON at the UIC Law School, on Monday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m., from August 26, 2024 through December 6, 2024.
d
The Executive Director of the program, Michael P. Seng, teaches the course. Professor Seng is also Director of Fair Housing Legal Support Center and the Restorative Justice Program at UIC Law. The Program Manager, Tiffany Hughes, will also contribute to instruction. She is a graduate of the Law School, a practicing attorney, and served as a clinical intern at The UIC Fair Housing Legal Clinic as a law student.
Additional FAQs For Faculty and Administrators
Contact Information Heading link
For questions concerning the Fair Housing/Fair Lending course, please contact:
