Law schools have excelled for generations at teaching developing lawyers the doctrinal foundations, analytical skills and practical skills they will need to provide effective counsel to clients. Despite their excellence in imparting these crucial skills, however, law schools have been remiss in helping students to develop the self-awareness, character and perspective necessary to be excellent counselors. Recognizing this failing, many law schools have taken steps to introduce programs in their curricula to help students develop their professional identity. This discussion group will include a diverse group of legal educators from around the U.S. and other professionals who have made strides at their respective institutions to introduce programs that assist students in developing their own personal sense of professional identity as lawyers.
The specific questions that this discussion group will address include:
What do we mean by “professional identity” and what are the qualities of an excellent professional identity?
What have law schools done to identify clear outcomes related to the development of professional identity?
What activities, readings, exercises and assessments are most effective in helping students to develop a professional identity?
How has professional identity development been introduced in doctrinal courses?
What more can and should law schools do to help students develop their professional identity?
Who should teach professional identity development in a law school?
How have law schools negotiated the mechanics of administering a course on professional identity development, including grading (pass/fail v. graded), required v. elective units, number of units, and adapting the course to a grading curve?
The participants for a Discussion Group will consist of a mix of individuals identified in the original proposal and individuals selected from a call for participation. Attendees who are not formal participants, are welcome to attend the Discussion Group, although space is limited. The moderator may open the discussion to include attendees at some point during the session.