The fraught golden anniversary of the War on Poverty invites a timely conversation among law teachers. Poverty is alive and well, so to speak, in American legal education. Poverty itself, though eased since the launch of the 1965 War by measures our panelists will discuss, remains urgent for American policy.
Urgent for law too, and here we focus on legislation. Decisions by judges have eased several harms associated with poverty, but statutes offer a stronger role for law. Any look at the relation between law and poverty in the United States demands attention to statutory change, both historical and potential. Panelists bring their expertise in particular domains – tax, immigration, health care, and family policy – to build our discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of legislation as an anti-poverty intervention.