Elaine Gregersen, “The Lived Experiences of a University Law Clinic Supervisor; an Autoethnographic Inquiry”

This is the only study the uses an autoethnographic approach to the practices of clinic supervision. This PhD thesis provides an (accurate) critique of the literature on clinical supervision:

“Existing studies overwhelmingly provide detached advice designed to increase the effectiveness of supervisory practice for the benefit of clinic students. There is a paucity of detailed insider accounts examining the realities of being a supervisor. The literature is fragmented, out of date, and lacks deeply critical analysis of supervisors’ lived experiences. Methodologically, clinical legal education research is in a relatively early development stage, reliant on single case studies, outcome evaluations, and narratives of congruence intended to underpin clinical development…”

The author sets out useful references to papers (most of them summarized elsewhere in this bibliography), and argues that many papers are based on advice without evidence. While there are various surveys that have been created, very few of them provide a “thick description” of life as a clinic supervisor.

Elaine Gregersen, “The Lived Experiences of a University Law Clinic Supervisor; an autoethnographic inquiry” (University of Northumbria at Newcastle (UK) ProQuest Dissertations, 2019), online: https://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/41722/.