Students enter law school with basic intrinsic values such as community, the desire to make a contribution, autonomy, personal growth and emotional intimacy. As Elizabeth Mertz, author of the American Bar Foundation study, The Language of Law School: Learning to “Think Like a Lawyer” observed, traditional legal education undermines these values in the process of teaching students to “think like lawyers.” The Carnegie report, Educating Lawyers, which relied heavily on the Mertz study, argues for greater focus on the role of law schools in nurturing the development of professional identities.
This interactive panel will explore the why and how of helping our students to develop humanistically oriented and balanced professional identities. Drawing from perspectives such as Therapeutic Jurisprudence, Contemplative Practice, Collaborative Law, and Critical Race Theory, speakers will offer discreet, simple exercises and interventions adaptable by attendees for use in their classes that will support students in discovering their own core values and professional identities. A practitioner will share his experiences, which will demonstrate the importance to successful and fulfilling practice of designing a professional identity that is consistent with one’s core values.