Even before publication of the Carnegie Report, legal educators recognized the importance of teaching professional identity. Teaching professional identity requires faculty to prepare students to exercise judgment under conditions of inherent uncertainty in ways that both fulfill their professional obligations to their clients and others and that allow them to integrate personal and professional values to live fulfilling lives.
Over the past decade, faculty at Mercer University School of Law refined an innovative first-year course on legal ethics and professionalism, the purpose of which is students’ professional identity formation. The course uses a wide range of methodologies, including small discussion groups, online blogs, and attorney interviews.
At the University of North Dakota School of Law, rotating faculty conduct “ProFound,” a course implementing interactive exercises with students to develop self-reflection about core professional qualities.
At the heart of both programs are realistic scenarios that raise professional dilemmas for students to resolve, bringing to light the complexity of the interrelationship between the individual and the profession. Students focus on thoughtfully aligning personal values and professional skills in the service to their clients and the larger legal system to deepen their appreciation of lawyering as a holistic endeavor implicating both heart and mind.