The full-day Associate Deans and Clinical Program Directors Workshop takes place every other year immediately before the Conference on Clinical Legal Education. A separate registration is required to attend the Workshop.
Registration Rates
AALS Member and Fee-Paid Law Schools | $195 |
Non-Member Law Schools | $245 |
International Law Schools | $195 |
Reexamining the Role of Clinical and Experiential Leaders in Challenging and Dynamic Times
In recent years, clinics and other experiential programs have experienced political challenges and resource constraints impacting our pedagogy and practice. At the same time, the ABA has instituted requirements that law schools teach certain essential topics and has also set more rigorous standards for institutions to invest in experiential programs and faculty. Continuing shifts in federal, state, and local political and legal landscapes further complicate and impact our work. This year’s Associate Deans and Clinical Program Directors Workshop will not only explore some of these tensions within experiential education, but also help experiential deans, program directors, and experiential leaders develop practical strategies and harness change as opportunity.
The first part of the day-long workshop will focus on four new and prospective ABA standards addressing: professional identity formation; bias, racism, and cultural competence; an expansion of experiential learning requirements; and enhanced requirements for faculty status and security of position. The new and emerging standards present some challenges in the current political and financial climate of many institutions; but they also present rich opportunities for clinical faculty, leaders, and programs to elevate their work and move their programs into a more central and essential role in the curriculum and life of their law schools. Thoughtful and strategic thinking and planning will be necessary to harness this moment. How can leaders leverage this opportunity?
The second half of the day-long workshop will provide participants the opportunity to engage in small group discussions focused on pressing issues in experiential leadership. Topics will likely include: balancing programmatic autonomy with uniformity in implementing standards and best practices, straddling tensions and shifting loyalties in leadership roles, exploring career paths in leadership, protecting against political interference and outside influence, and sustaining ourselves in leadership and building leadership legacies. A diverse group of leaders in experiential education will then share their insights about effective leadership in the context of rapidly evolving community and institutional needs and norms. How do experiential leaders help focus and engage their programs in urgent and meaningful work? How do we inspire and support our faculties? How do we find meaning in our administrative work and nourish the next generation of experiential leaders?