Spring 2011 Course Schedule

Legal Practice & Principles in Modern Society Externship Seminar (LAW-769-006)
Fine, H.

Meets: 06:00 PM - 07:50 PM (W) - Room 501

Enrolled: 9 / Limit: 15

Administrator Access


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

Externship seminars provide students with an opportunity to engage in critical reflection about the legal profession, their own future legal careers, and their priorities and values as lawyers in conjunction with their field placement experiences.

This is a three-credit, graded seminar. It is taken in conjunction with a field placement in a non-profit or government organization or a private law firm doing pro bono work. In this seminar we will explore students’ externship experiences as they relate to modern legal practice. We will analyze the nuanced role of a lawyer in a variety of legal settings and discuss the meaning of these unique roles in society. We will explore the range of clients encountered at public interest organizations, in the government and at law firms and discuss lawyers’ techniques for effective client-counseling and handling difficult client scenarios. We also will explore the meaning of legal professionalism, discuss strategies and mechanisms for pursuing careers in today’s legal climate and think about the various non-traditional options available to someone with a law degree. Students also will critically reflect upon their externship experiences and their role in various legal settings as well as identify ways in which externships choices shape their legal education. Further, we will explore legal ethics and its role in various legal settings. Finally, we will discuss maintaining an appropriate work-life balance while managing a demanding practice. Guest lecturers will be invited to share their experiences with the class. This course is interactive and open to all students in externship field placements.

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.

Learning From Practice: A Professional Development Text for Legal Interns, 2nd Edition, J.P. Ogilby, et., 978-0-314-15284-8

First Class Readings

First Assigment for January 12, 2011

Please read Chapter 1 (Learning from Experience), Chapter 9 (Reflective Lawyering), and Chapter 11 (Journals) in Learning from Practice: A Professional Development Text for Legal Externs, 2nd edition. The text can be purchased at the campus bookstore. The course materials packet can be purchased in Room 465, though we will not use the course materials packet until Class #4.

Syllabus

Use your MyAU username and password to access the syllabus in the following format(s):