Many of us begin our careers as practitioners in jurisdictions where we are “insiders;” places we grew up, went to school, or where we developed reputations as local repeat players in the legal system. When we transition into clinical teaching we often fan out into places where we become strangers in a strange land—sometimes moving from big cities to small towns. The most basic tenets of our practice are challenged by the opposing party, judges, and even local attorneys who purportedly share our cause. Our students are pulled aside by various courthouse players who undermine our teaching efforts by saying things like, “That isn’t how things work here.” And we increasingly face threats from our own institutions, as state and local governments cut away at our ability to discuss “divisive” concepts, like critical race theory.
We will discuss how “place” impacts how we approach our work in courtrooms and classrooms and our relationships with both clients and larger communities. How do our clinics gain acceptance and build credibility among local stakeholders while still adhering to best practices? What compromises are we willing to make to fit in, and what tenets are non-negotiable? As outsiders less beholden to local norms and power structures, how do we leverage our power to engage in creative and transformative advocacy? In keeping with our conference theme – Resistance and Resilience Amid Backlash – the goal of this session is to provide a space where we can share experiences and develop strategies to persist and persevere despite the challenges of our localities.
Our working model for this session involves sharing some of our experiences as a way to tee up small group break-out discussions, reports back, and further conversations about challenges people have faced or continue to face and the ways they have addressed these challenges.