Ext Sem: Lawyers and the Practice of Law (LAW-769-001)
Bruskin
Meets: 05:30 PM - 07:20 PM (T) - Room 504
Enrolled: 15 / Limit: 15
Notices
NOTE: CLASS WILL MEET IN SMALL GROUPS FOR AN EXTRA HOUR EVERY OTHER WEEK. TIME TBD. Registering for your field placement credits is a separate process. Students must first register for a seminar and then go to www.wcl.american.edu/externship to submit a Request for Approval, which generates the necessary forms. Students with concerns about placement approval should speak with a member of the Externship Staff. Students are not registered for field credits until they submit the signed Registration Form to the Registrar.
Description
Corequisite: LAW-899, Supervised Externship.. In this course, we will explore the meaning of being a lawyer and a member of the legal profession. We will think about how the practice of being a lawyer varies by setting and by clients served—particularly in the counseling and litigation areas of practice. We will discuss the variety of roles that lawyers may have, the images and reality of lawyers’ roles, and the skills and tools required for effective lawyering, focusing on oral advocacy in a variety of settings. We will examine the ethical obligations of lawyers, professional obligations, and the tension between the economics of many modern legal practices and the public service obligations of the profession. We will also consider diversity within the profession, whether characteristics, such as gender and ethnicity, affect one’s experience as a lawyer, and how to have a happy life in the law. The format of the class will include simulations, role-plays and guest speakers. The class is open to all students in all externship field placements, although those in externships that involve at some level litigation may benefit the most from the class.
Textbooks and Other Materials
The textbook information on this page was provided by the instructor. Students should use this information when considering purchases from the AU Campus Store or other vendors. Students may check to determine if books are currently available for purchase online.
First Class Readings
Not available at this time.
Syllabus
Use your MyAU username and password to access the syllabus in the following format(s):
Microsoft Word (DOC)