MSW & JD Dual Degree

For University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) alumna Phoebe Blessing MSW '20, JD '21, field education internships provided a chance to see how a social work and law dual degree would pay off down the road.

Blessing was working in medicine when she became frustrated with inequities in health care access. An MSW/JD dual degree with an MSW concentration in organizational leadership and policy practice made it possible for her to work toward developing more equitable policies. As an intern on the ACLU of Colorado policy team, Blessing worked on the Colorado Rights Act (HB20-1287). Introduced in February 2020, the bill, which didn’t pass, would have allowed civil lawsuits in state courts against Colorado governments for violations of state Constitutional rights, including free speech.

In the ACLU role, she wore both social work and legal hats.

“I spent the first few months doing legal research and drafting language for the bill; then as we were trying to get it introduced, get votes and a hearing, I was reaching out to individuals who have heartbreaking stories and explaining to them how this bill would have helped them,” says Blessing. “I realized how critical social work education is for recognizing the human impact, being able to communicate that and build community around policy.”

After graduation from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Blessing served as political and policy director for state Rep. Leslie Herod.

Associate Professor Jennifer Greenfield taught Blessing in her Policy Analysis course.

“Phoebe wrote an excellent brief about the impacts of COVID-19 on people who are incarcerated in Colorado. It exemplifies her ability to combine critical thinking skills and intellectual insight with empathy and care for others,” Greenfield says.

“When social work students graduate and pursue careers within the legal system, they bring empathy, innovation and a critical lens to that work,” Greenfield adds. “When they choose advocacy or policy-focused careers, they bring a deeper knowledge of how and why laws are written the way they are. Either way, it’s a powerful combination.”