Clinicians in the Dean's Suite: The Promise and Perils of Leading Change in Legal Education

Go Back

Session Type: Concurrent Sessions

Session Capacity: N/A

Location: N/A

Room: Waterview D

Floor: Lobby Level

Clinicians have historically been “on the outside” of the dean’s suite, advocating for recognition and reform in legal education and the profession. In recent years, that has shifted, with more clinicians moving into leadership positions. As law school deans and associate deans, clinicians have direct opportunities to influence and lead the change we want to see in legal education and the profession, while balancing many competing interests in the law school. In service to collective learning, this session will identify issues important to clinicians entering leadership roles and explore strategies for effective law school leadership. This session will feature deans (and clinicians) leading their law school from different vantage points: the Dean, Vice Dean, and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development. The session will be a reflective conversation with the audience about the unique opportunities, responsibilities, and challenges that clinical faculty face when elevated to law school leadership positions. The overall goal of the session is to support and guide clinical faculty who currently have law school decanal roles, or who aspire to them in the future. The panelists will offer and invite interactive discussion on the following themes: • The pathways to becoming a dean or associate dean • The unique skills that clinicians bring to leadership positions, and how clinical expertise translates to (or conflicts with) leadership roles • The special responsibilities and opportunities that clinicians have when they move into law school leadership positions • The opportunities to “lead the change” as law school deans, and define what that “change” look like • The unique challenges and costs that face clinicians and their law schools when clinicians move into leadership positions, and the strategies to address them.