Let’s Collaborate: How Escaping the Silos of our Clinical Legal Practices Can Invigorate and Engage Students and Build Stronger Advocacy

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Session Type: Concurrent Sessions

Session Capacity: N/A

Hotel: N/A

Room: Franciscan B

Floor: Ballroom Level

Clinical work provides a rich opportunity for students to hone-in on one area of law. Students think creatively as to the best avenues for advocacy, strengthen their lawyering skills, and delve into learning the law of that specific practice clinic. But is this tried-and-true structure of clinical teaching enough in the divisive and complex world of today? The challenges experienced by our clients are often layered with multiple legal and social issues. As clinical professors, we are not experts on areas that fall outside our practice. As a result, it is often difficult to engage in holistic client advocacy and representation to meet the varied need of our clients. Cross-clinic collaboration offers students an opportunity to approach advocacy beyond the single-issue lens that can often limit creative and effective lawyering. Collaboration across clinics engages students to learn how areas of law intersect to impact a client’s access to justice. It builds student skills to practice law – more intentionally – through an intersectional lens. Through cross-clinic work, students learn to identify holistic strategies, legal and non-legal, for advocacy that cuts across the systems that are obstructing our client’s rights. It is imperative for our students to engage across disciplines to meet the complex needs of our clients. Further,“[c]ross-clinic collaboration [] allows faculty to demonstrate holistic, client-centered lawyering and teaches student attorneys about the value of seeking out alternative expertise and partnerships while in practice.” Panelist will discuss their work with cross-clinic collaborations in the areas of criminal law, immigration, and disability. Participants will engage in facilitated break-out groups to discuss (1) their experiences with cross-clinic collaboration; (2) challenges experienced during collaborations; and/or (3) challenges in engaging in cross-clinic collaboration. The panel will conclude by brainstorming strategies that participants can bring back to their clinical programs for engaging in cross-clinic collaborations.