We live, practice law, and teach at a time when it is hard to feel optimistic. As practitioners who work in issues related to criminal justice, civil rights, human rights, and humanitarian law, we are acutely aware of the impact of powerful government actors shifting away from adherence to law and the rightward shift in the domestic judiciary’s composition. Our students are too. They often come to us with a critical view of the law and institutions and have a well-formed cynicism around whether or not harm can be prevented and justice can be achieved. Students arrive prepared to identify gaps in existing systems and express dissatisfaction toward various approaches to systemic changes. However, thinking of resistance to the status quo as an “active” rather than “passive” approach can entail a massive mental shift. Embracing hope for what can be affected and what good can be done, even during a clinical semester, takes pushing through the stagnant inertia of cynicism.
Prior educational experiences, current events, and the culture of social media have fueled the challenge of students being stuck in criticism, critique, and hopelessness. It is a challenge that must be overcome for our students to see themselves as potential agents for change. If we surrender to hopelessness, we will not be our best selves as advocates. As clinical law teachers, we need to instill in our students that they can make a difference.
Our session will be an interactive workshop. We will include a mixture of presentation, small group discussions, and a role play exercise in which participants practice conversations between students and clinical faculty. Rather than prescribing set approaches, we hope to learn from everyone in the room and have a generative discussion.