You may have read recently
about four American soldiers ambushed and killed in the West African Republic
of Niger. I know Niger well, having spent several years of my adult life
working and living there.
What could the ambush in
Niger possibly have to do with clinical legal education? The answer is: the
need for alternative universe thinking.
In clinical teaching, we
often challenge our students to consider things from the point of view of the
client. In many cases, that client may exist in a “universe” very different
from that of the student. To take a simple example, if a client skips an
important meeting with the student, it might not be because the client does not
care; it might be because the client works at a minimum wage job that provides
her with little scheduling flexibility and no extra income to cover the costs
of childcare and transportation.
Tom Kelley in Niger
Read More... (Alternative Universe Thinking in Niger with Professor Tom Kelley)
Posted by Thomas A. Kelley III (Tom) on Wed. November 1, 2017 3:59 PM
Categories: Clinical Faculty Initiatives, Community Development Law Clinic
At
this time each year, my Community Development Law (“CDL”) Clinic students
receive their first client assignments – all community based nonprofit organizations
– and begin planning initial interviews with the organizations’ stakeholders.
As a teacher, I take great satisfaction in watching, and to a certain extent
guiding, as the CDL students become comfortable with interviewing and
counseling clients.
Tom Kelley
Read More... (Community Development Law "CDL" Clinic)
Posted by Thomas A. Kelley III (Tom) on Thu. September 7, 2017 1:54 PM
Categories: Community Development Law Clinic