A judge in black robes sat above the courtroom during a sentencing hearing as a defense attorney spoke on behalf of the defendant. Silence and solemn faces filled the room.
This scene was not from a television drama. It was an experience that PLU students encountered during a J-term course.
The sociology course Gender and Violence, taught by Professor Kate Luther, offered students an immersive guide to the realities of the criminal justice system and how domestic violence cases are handled. The class focused on victim-centered experiences of domestic violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence. It emphasized the lived experiences of survivors and the structural barriers they face within legal and social systems.
Rather than treating these serious issues as abstract social problems, the course brought students into real-life professional settings. Students heard from a detective with the Seattle Police Department and attended two filmstrips at the Thurston County Courthouse and the Maleng Regional Justice Center. These visits allowed students to observe how prosecutors and victim advocates work within domestic violence cases.
Including guest speakers and field trips in the already tight J-term schedule was an intentional decision for Luther: “I think people who are actually doing the work help to bring things to life in a way that I can’t normally in the classroom,” Luther said. “So even though it means that my schedule might not be exactly what I wanted it to be, I feel like those are such valuable experiences that I want to prioritize them.”
These experiences across the criminal justice system help students explore potential career paths: “We’ve seen what victim advocates do, what a prosecutor does, and what a detective dealing with domestic violence and stalking does,” Luther said. “It helps start the wheels turning for students, if they’re thinking about those career paths, or it tells them they don’t want to do it. Either is valuable.”
Luther’s connection with PLU alumni currently working in the criminal justice system made any of the guest speakers or field trips possible. “I want students to see what the system actually looks like in practice — not just what they see on television or in the media,” Luther shared.
Samantha Velasco Patino, a senior criminal justice major, described the course as both interesting and atypical: “The field trip helped reinforce ideas from class,” she said. “It’s different when you’re talking about something versus visually seeing it happen in front of you. I think that’s very important and definitely helped to further my understanding of the content.”
Looking ahead, Luther said she plans to continue building connections with alumni to support future field trips and networking opportunities for students. She claimed that seeing alumni doing meaningful work and making an impact was inspiring. “I think any faculty member at PLU would say the same thing, seeing our former students do awesome work that improves our communities is phenomenal.”
