It Takes a Village: Instilling a Sense of Student Ownership over Clinic Cases & Projects

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Session Type: Lightning Sessions

Session Capacity: N/A

Hotel: N/A

Room: Yosemite A

Floor: Ballroom Level

This session will focus on student ownership of their work in clinic, including projects and individual cases. Taking into account that students may work on short- or long-term matters (meaning the case or project lasts longer than any one student’s involvement in the course), individually and/or in teams, and with individual clients or organizations, this session will explore different strategies to ensure students take maximum ownership of their work and learning experience, regardless of the specific clinic structure. The session will outline the different challenges to student ownership or “buy-in” when students are first assigned clinic cases or projects and identify different versions of student ownership (e.g. collective and individual), explaining what is hindered when there is no student “buy-in” or students’ sense of ownership is limited. The session will provide an opportunity to brainstorm specific tools for improving and encouraging student ownership, and present potential strategies to improve student ownership and therefore a stronger work product from students. Throughout our discussion, we will consider not only the importance of student ownership as it relates to better work product, but also its role in ensuring that students develop a commitment to social justice. Student ownership, which requires making decisions on and taking responsibility for how a case or project progresses, allows students to develop their professional identities, grapple with real ethical issues, and develop the ability to identify injustice and understand their role in remedying or challenging injustice throughout their careers.