his article aimed to explore the potential benefits of incorporating clinical-style supervision into the legal profession more broadly. The authors utilized a narrative literature review which identified, reviewed, and summarized the existing literature on clinical supervision within the legal profession. Results indicated that there are multiple benefits associated with clinical-style supervision, including the reduction of burnout, the minimization of vicarious trauma, and an increase in staff retention. It is also posited that incorporating clinical-style supervision may assist in improving the overall quality of the legal profession by enhancing emotional and interpersonal skills amongst lawyers.
Supervision within a clinical legal education setting has been ascribed numerous purposes including (1) mentoring/support, (2) managerial/administrative, and (3) educational/training. Within the clinical legal education context, supervision has also been ascribed a ‘social justice’ role in that the supervising lawyer is tasked with encouraging the students to see the value and feasibility of this type of work. As such, a supervising lawyer’s job is not only about improving work practices; it also includes an element of imbuing certain ‘social justice’ values in students.
The authors suggest that introducing clinical-style supervision into the legal practice more broadly would benefit all members of the profession, from new lawyers to senior partners. With this in mind, the authors offer considerations for the implementation of supervision and what best practices may look like. It is noted that the supervisory model must acknowledge not only substantive legal training and the development of practical skills, but also the highly emotional and relational aspects of such work. A number of features which may improve the efficacy of supervision were identified, which include:
(1) That supervision is regular and ongoing;
(2) That the supervisory relationship provides a space for self-reflection;
(3) That it is trauma informed;
(4) That it establishes a safe space for emotional work; and
(5) That it facilitates self-care.
Finally, this article acknowledges that research into clinical education is much more well-developed in other professions, such as psychology and social work. They note that the next phase of this research should focus on examining in detail how clinical supervision guidelines from other, more well-researched, professions can be tailored to the unique circumstances and environment of clinical legal education.
Meribah Rose & Chris Maylea, “The Case for Implementing Legal Clinical Supervision within Legal Practice, and Recommendations for Best Practices” (2023) 32:3 Griffith Law Rev 259.
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