Teaching the Technology of Lawyering in Clinical Programs

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Session Type: Discussion Programs

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Over the past two years, many of our clinical practices and courses have been transformed by the sudden, and often haphazard, adoption of law practice technologies. This session will provide an overview of clinicians’ use of law practice technology (tools, devices, and programs) during the pandemic, and the impact of that technology on our teaching and practices. We will then look forward, exploring methods of thoughtfully infusing clinical programs with emerging law practice technologies, while maintaining the ethical and pedagogical hallmarks of clinical teaching and lawyering. The conversation will begin by providing an overview of the results of a January 2021 survey completed by 121 clinicians, which captured their use of technology in real time amid the pandemic. Based on the survey results, as well as our experiences integrating technology into our clinical practices, the panelists will discuss what we perceive as core elements of a necessary “clinic technology “infrastructure”- the groundwork, planning, and scaffolding needed to support the infusion of law practice technology into clinical programs holistically and successfully. Participants will be invited to share their experiences with utilizing technology and building technology infrastructure in their programs. Participants will also share the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating law practice technologies into clinical education. We will collectively explore methods for deliberately and thoughtfully leveraging technology within clinical programs in ways that support many of the core goals and methodologies of clinical pedagogy and practice. The presenters will use breakout rooms, polling, and discussions to promote interactivity. We hope to conclude by providing attendees with an opportunity to develop elements of an individualized clinic technology infrastructure plan that can support the infusion of law practice technology within their clinical programs.