This article argues that generations of law students are not prepared for the practice of law. Clinical legal educators seek to teach practical legal skills to students; however, they also have the ability to teach students professionalism and, ultimately, how to be lawyers. This requires teaching students how to act, not just how to think.
Autonomy is an integral aspect of student learning. Autonomy requires law students to be able to work independently and be self-directive in their completion and navigation of tasks. However, students must be taught the skill to act autonomously. Supervisors must support student’s intrinsic motivations by being less directional in their approaches to problem-solving, encouraging initiative and showing that the tasks undertaken by students are valued.
In developing future lawyers, clinicians should embrace principles from therapeutic jurisprudence, namely, that client-focused lawyering requires more than technical judgment based on logical analysis. Rather, lawyers should consider the emotional and psychological welfare of those who interact with the justice system.
Ross Hyams, “On Teaching Students to ‘Act like a Lawyer’: What Sort of Lawyer?” (2008) 13 Int’l J Clinical L Educ 21.
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