Sessions Information

  • May 5, 2015
    2:45 pm - 4:00 pm
    Session Type: AALS Programs
    Session Capacity: N/A
    Location: N/A
    Room: N/A
    Floor: N/A
    The
    presenters are co-editors the forthcoming book, Building on Best Practices:
    Transforming Legal Education in a Changing World, and are the
    primary co-authors of sections on experiential education, clinics, and
    externships.  At the beginning and end of
    a book editing retreat they shared their hopes and fears for the project.  Both the hopes and the fears came to pass. As
    editors and as co-authors, they struggled to define the essential
    characteristics of law clinics, externships, and simulations, going through
    many iterations of each section.  
    During
    this process, they discovered that underlying their similar values were
    differences in interpretation, definition, and categorization of key terms,
    concepts, and perspectives.  They were
    called on to examine when they were being defensive and when they were being
    realistic.  These tensions stimulated
    spirited conversations that challenged the editors to see other points of
    view.  Familiar tensions between clinics
    and externships surfaced, as well as between simulation and real life
    experiences, and in the way they conceptualized and “drew lines” between form
    and content. Even in the midst of tears and fears, the editors were forced to
    engage in frank and at the same time caring discussions about attitudes,
    feelings, beliefs, values, and facts. This open approach allowed the four to
    maintain an ongoing, respectful dialogue.  

    The
    lessons the group learned are important ones for clinicians in the “new
    normal.”  In order to provide leadership
    within their institutions during a time of uncertainty, clinicians must face
    their fears – fear of definitions, fear of loss, fear of change, and fear of
    the future.  We hope to model one way of
    accomplishing this feat. 

    View/download handout
    View/download Table 1
    View/download Table 2
    View/download Table 3
    View/download Table 4
    View/download Table 5

Session Speakers
Quinnipiac University School of Law
Concurrent Session Speaker

University of Washington School of Law
Concurrent Session Speaker

University of New Mexico School of Law
Concurrent Session Speaker

Session Fees

Fees information is not available at this time.