Educating Nonlawyers–Will Barriers to Experiential Education Perpetuate Unequal Access to Justice?

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Session Type: Concurrent Sessions

Session Capacity: N/A

Location: Marriott St. Louis Grand

Room: Majestic C

Floor: Second Floor, Conference Plaza

One of the most widespread legal changes occurring within our legal system is the broadening of nonlawyer legal services. Although it is no surprise that access to justice is a racial/socioeconomic problem that crosses all areas of law, still many attorneys negatively respond to the idea of nonlawyer training and practice drawing the (often baseless) conclusion that this will pose a risk to the public while also taking business away from attorneys. In an atmosphere of backlash, scrutiny, and often a lack of legal framework, how can clinical educators fill the void of practical training for this new tier of legal service providers? In Arizona, we are actively engaging in the education of nonlawyer practitioners. These students represent a more diverse, first generation legal service provider than seen in most JD programs, but as nonlawyers, they also face barriers to experiential learning access that JDs do not face. This session will be engaging and interactive by posing questions rather than solutions. We will encourage small group brainstorming and reporting for the overarching issues presented with the hope of planting ideas for tackling the challenges to nonlawyer experiential education.