The College of New Jersey Logo

Apply     Visit     Give     |     Alumni     Parents     Offices     TCNJ Today     Three Bar Menu

Spanish for Law and Justice Practitioners Certificate

Few lawyers or justice practitioners have the language skills or intercultural awareness to provide legal services in Spanish, making both Spanish fluency and cultural competency high-demand skills for future lawyers and justice practitioners. A recent study from the U.S. Bar Association found that only 5% of U.S. lawyers are Hispanic. Furthermore, although the U.S. Latino/ Latin American population is one of the population sectors most in need of legal services, they are among the least likely to seek legal assistance. Many Latin Americans arrive in the U.S. from countries that lack a solid civil court structure. Their experiences in their home countries have fostered a mistrust of the police and criminal justice systems, making them unlikely to report crimes.

For undocumented Latin American residents, obtaining basic legal services can be terrifying. Simple daily activities like commuting to work or visiting a doctor can be daunting, as they worry a minor mistake could severely impact their lives. Access to even the most basic legal services can terrify undocumented Latin American residents. Simply driving to work or going to the doctor can seem dangerous, eliciting fear that one misstep could quickly uproot their lives. Furthermore, few lawyers or justice practitioners have the language skills or intercultural awareness to serve this growing population aptly.

Our three-course Certificate in Spanish for Law and Justice Practitioners will help students address major cultural misunderstandings about the reality of life in the U.S. for Latin American and Latino residents and build their awareness of the reasons for the legal vulnerabilities of this population. The classes will also provide students with the fundamental background knowledge and Spanish language and intercultural skills to speak appropriately, engage with, and advocate for the Latino community.

Go to: Spanish for Professional Purposes Certificate Program

 Required Courses

  • Core Course
    SPA 203 Intermediate Oral Proficiency or SPA 210 Spanish for Heritage Speakers
  • Two Additional Courses
    SPA 228 Spanish for Law, Justice, and Human Services (taught in Spanish)
    WLC 238 Latin American Cultural Perspectives (taught in English)

Course Descriptions

SPA 203 Intermediate Oral Proficiency

SPA 203 boosts non-native students’ language proficiency to at least the intermediate-mid level, so that they are prepared for more specialized professionally oriented courses. 

SPA 210 Spanish for Heritage Speakers

SPA 210 helps to fill gaps and improve heritage speakers’ written Spanish ability so they can more easily become bilingual professionals. 

SPA 228 Spanish for Law, Justice, and Human Services

 SPA 228 examines the shared experiences and unique circumstances of Latin American peoples in both Latin America and the U.S. Students will examine the reasons for this populations’ mistrust of the police and criminal justice system in both the U.S and Latin America. Both courses emphasize respect for different points of view and awareness of hardships that others face. Class readings, films, and group discussions will allow students to formulate their own opinions about current-day issues as well as provide them with a basis from which to develop more advanced oral skills in Spanish including. 

SPA 228 students will develop narration in all major time frames, circumlocution, expressing opinions, handling a situation with a complication, asking and answering questions, and improving listening comprehension, all skills that will help students to interact with Latin American/ Latino clients with greater language ability and intercultural awareness. 

Students who prefer to take a course in Spanish instead of WLC 238 may count either SPA 216 (Current Events in the Spanish Speaking World) or SPA 217 (Introduction to Hispanic Cultures) toward the third required class in the certificate. 

WLC 238 Latin American Cultural Perspectives

WLC 238 examines the shared experiences and unique circumstances of Latin American peoples in both Latin America and the U.S. Students will examine the reasons for this populations’ mistrust of the police and criminal justice system in both the U.S and Latin America. Both courses emphasize respect for different points of view and awareness of hardships that others face. Class readings, films, and group discussions will allow students to formulate their own opinions about current-day issues as well as provide them with a basis from which to develop more advanced oral skills in Spanish including. 

Alumni Profiles

Jared

Jared Williams

TCNJ Class of 2025
“The Spanish certificate can benefit my career goals profoundly. I would like to be a lawyer and an elected official, and having the ability to speak Spanish can help with both. As a lawyer, I can assist even more clients if I speak Spanish, and this certificate will help me achieve that goal. Additionally, as a future elected official, speaking the second most known language in the country will enhance my ability to communicate with the broader population.

Top