Clinical faculty face stark tensions in preparing the next generation of attorneys in this era of rapid technological
and economic change. As the availability of “apprenticeship” positions for new graduates declines, mindful acceleration of each student’s learning curve becomes increasingly important. Mind mapping is an efficient tool to help clinic students and faculty meet their respective educational and professional objectives through tailored client assignments.
Characterized by visual representations of hierarchical information, mind maps take a central idea and
surround it with connected branches of associated topics. Coupled with tactile electronic devices (like tablet computers and smart phones), modern mind mapping applications give clinical faculty and students a new way to
brainstorm, organize, process, and share information in approachable, meaningful ways.
Mind mapping is used at the University of Nebraska College of Law Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic to outline, organize, and maintain student attorney workloads. Student and faculty learning objectives are matched with the unique pedagogical opportunities presented by each client through use of basic visual cues (e.g., colors, shapes, icons). The resulting blueprint provides clinical faculty with a clearer, more accessible picture of this complex set of variables, fostering efficient and effective experimentation with different combinations.
The primary learning objective for this session is to demonstrate the application of mind mapping to assignment of
client matters. Through exposure to this application, attendees will also obtain a basic understanding of mind mapping and begin to explore other potential applications in their own clinical teaching.