Bridging the Gap: Faculty and Clinic Manager Collaboration for Successful Student and Social Impact

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Session Type: Concurrent Sessions

Session Capacity: N/A

Location: N/A

Room: Harborside Ballroom D

Floor: Fourth Floor

Clinical legal education thrives on collaboration, including the critical partnership between faculty and clinic managers. This session explores the essential role that clinic managers play in the smooth operation of clinical programs. From overseeing student registration and practice certification to managing client databases and navigating ethical complexities, clinic managers provide structural support that allows clinicians to place more of their focus on teaching, supervision, and advocacy. Through a panel discussion and an interactive fishbowl-format conversation, participants will gain insight into the administrative and ethical challenges that arise in clinic operations and the ways in which managers and faculty can work together to address them. The discussion will underscore key aspects of the role of clinic managers, highlight common barriers to collaboration, share strategies for integrating managerial expertise into clinical pedagogy, and examine the broader implications of these partnerships for clinical education’s role in shaping the profession. Led by clinic managers and faculty from D.C. area schools that meet regularly, the session will also model how clinical programs can collaborate and provide regional support for each other across schools. This session will be particularly valuable for faculty seeking to optimize the structure of their clinical programs, for clinics considering the addition or restructuring of a managerial role, and for managers looking to strengthen cross-institutional networks. By fostering a deeper understanding of how managerial and academic roles intersect, this session aims to promote more intentional collaboration, ultimately enhancing both student learning and the impact of clinical programs within the legal system.