Holding the Line: Clinical Education in Defense of Democracy
The clinical community will convene at a time marked by intense polarization, retrenchment of hard-won rights, a departure from democratic norms, and unprecedented government intrusion into academic institutions and scholarly inquiry. These developments present serious and rapidly evolving challenges for our clients, students, and colleagues, as we continue instilling in the next generation of lawyers a commitment to using the law as a tool for equity and social change.
This conference honors the enduring legacy and promise of clinical legal education as a stronghold of civic engagement and justice. Attendees will discuss how to build thoughtful, skilled advocates who contribute to the preservation and advancement of democratic norms and institutions. This goal is closely tied to, but distinct from, the work of clinics in representing underserved clients and advancing social causes. Conference programming will highlight four subthemes:
- Anchoring Democracy. Law schools can function as stabilizing institutions that uphold democratic values and legal integrity. How do clinical educators work within their schools and communities to realize this potential? How do experiential opportunities cultivate leadership in defending democracy?
- Pedagogies of Resistance. Law has the power to entrench or resist authoritarianism. How does clinical pedagogy address this and equip students to reject authoritarianism and advance the cause of freedom?
- Reclaiming Critical Inquiry. Critical inquiry is a target of caricature and backlash. How does clinical education teach students to examine the law in the context of historic and contemporary power dynamics? What are the unique challenges to critical inquiry posed by the emergence of A.I.? How are clinicians maneuvering increased surveillance and its chilling effects on open discourse and the pursuit of justice?
- Global Perspectives. The ascendance of anti-pluralist politics is a worldwide phenomenon. How do global perspectives inform our work? How are clinicians incorporating comparative insights on democracy and academic freedom into their pedagogy?