Jeff Giddings, Reciprocal Professional Development: Enhancing Law Student Supervision in Practice-based Contexts

This report examines the Effective Law Student Supervision (ELSS) Project which is concerned with issues related to professionalism and legal education with focus on enhancing the experiences of law students and supervisors involved in clinical programs in law schools as well as externship arrangements. Central to the project is effective supervision, focused on achieving articulated educational objectives in a structured manner.

The project involved a series of surveys of supervisors and students involved in placement programs, workshops for supervisors and students, multidisciplinary workshops, seminars, and publications. Survey research indicated that students generally had excellent guidance. However, there was a real disincentive to supervisor involvement in student supervision related to attempting to work with students who lack the capacity to work effectively in a professional environment. The research also found that supervisors note difficulties working with students who are not strongly motivated. (Note the report does not expand further on the latter points).

Further, this report sets out the concept of Reciprocal Professional Development, a system that promotes constructive engagement and identifies opportunities for both placement students and supervisors to benefit from the supervision relationship. It seeks to address challenging issues in clinical legal education and the practice of law. It can potentially enhance the legal profession if lawyers provide students with opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge, and professional identity. The concept of reciprocity in the system emphasizes the importance of relationships and should be central to supervision.

 Identifying the benefits for supervisors from their involvement is particularly important in promoting participation in experiential learning programs. Some of these benefits include: satisfaction from committing to developing future professionals; supervisor access to university resources; university recognition of the contributions of the supervisor; greater awareness of socio-legal research, case law and legislative developments; and building leadership capacities related to the supervision of other work colleagues.

Jeff Giddings, Reciprocal Professional Development: Enhancing Law Student Supervision in Practice-based Contexts (Australia: Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching, 2015).