Having Fun While Practicing Law: Not Just a Series of Random Words!

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Session Type: Lightning Sessions

Session Capacity: N/A

Hotel: N/A

Room: Franciscan C

Floor: Ballroom Level

It’s relatively easy to make a classroom experience “fun,” especially a classroom of passionate students who choose to engage in a graduate-level academic program instead of (or in addition to) work. And fun is important! Numerous studies show that when people are having fun, they are learning more, performing tasks better, and practicing self-care. But what happens to the fun when class exercises end and the work of lawyering begins? The practice of law, especially law serving the public interest and areas of law conducive to secondary trauma, can be very much not fun (often downright depressing). Without any semblance of enjoyment, attorneys are often left feeling drained and depleted, questioning the value of their efforts. Given the demands and stresses that practice places on attorneys, the result of burnout is far more likely if some fun cannot be found. So, how do we incorporate fun to make the clinical experience a positive learning experience, and how do we instill the “fun” skill into our students, so that they will carry it forward throughout their careers? This brief and interactive lightning session will feature two presenters from legal clinics who focus part of their classroom instruction and supervision towards helping students “find the fun” in legal practice. They will share examples of proven techniques, tell success stories, and invite participants to contribute the same. It may not need to be said, but the session itself will be fun. Guaranteed.