Lawyers and law
schools often remain siloed from the spaces where connections are built in
community—e.g. community centers, small business associations, faith
communities, federally qualified health centers, startup incubators, and on
social media. Are these silos self-imposed by the profession, or are they the
result of a public perception that lawyers are primarily useful only when
conflict arises? Is it due to the law’s
increasing complexity, which in turn increases the costs of researching,
learning, and applying it correctly, widening the gap between those able to
access and use the law and those for whom application of the rule of law seems
out of reach? This session brings
together law professors (including some based outside of law schools) who seek
to break down these silos and deepen connections between lawyers, community
groups, policymakers, and other professionals for a discussion of the
challenges and benefits of different forms of community engagement.