Washington Lawyer - September 2019 - 16

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The legal profession has rapidly
transformed over the past decade in
response to increased globalization,
advancements in the application
of technology, and the evolving
expectations of employers with regard
to the preparedness of law school
graduates to participate meaningfully
in the profession from day one.
CHRISTOPHER A. BRACEY
Interim Dean, The George Washington
University School of Law

READY FOR REAL-WORLD LAWYERING
The renewed focus on acquiring core competencies in the law has schools
more broadly building their programs, designing them to directly address
the need for students to be conversant in the basics of practice management and the often unheralded business skills of project management and
data analytics.
This fall, GW Law is launching a new six-credit course for 1Ls called the
"Fundamentals of Lawyering," which will be taught by professors with
practice experience. The course focuses on research, writing, and analysis,
delivering content through a professional development lens that emphasizes client service and the lawyer-client relationship.
"The legal profession has rapidly transformed over the past decade in
response to increased globalization, advancements in the application of
technology, and the evolving expectations of employers with regard to the
preparedness of law school graduates to participate meaningfully in the
profession from day one," says Bracey.
"In response to these insurgent needs, GW Law has implemented the most
significant reform to our first-year curriculum in a generation to reflect the
changing practice of law and to ensure that every GW Law graduate possesses the essential lawyering skills that employers value most," adds Bracey.
GW Law's efforts appear to be working. The law school was the 2018 recipient of the ABA's E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award for its Inns of
Court Program, which encourages students to supplement classroom work
with sessions, workshops, and counseling on writing, career development,
and cultural competency.
The challenge with concrete-skills courses is that they often counter the
romantic notion of what law school is supposed to be - a place where
students think deeply about complex aspects of the law and legal theory.
"When you're in law school, you want to know the law and do all the

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SEPTEMBER 2019

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traditional functions that schools demand, like studying case law and appellate decisions," says Christopher Gowen, founding partner at Gowen, Silva &
Winograd PLLC. "It's hard to see the significance of the business side of law
until you're out practicing."
Beyond practice basics, law schools are now also emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) in learning the law and building a successful career. For example, WCL is introducing the Compass Program this
fall for first-year law students to learn about interpersonal skills, including
communication, motivation, problem solving, resilience, self-assessment,
and awareness.
"We have not forgotten that the practice of law takes place within contexts
that are informed by legal history and jurisprudence, as well as policy and
economic influences," says Nelson. "So the increase in opportunities to learn
the law, and the practice of law, in context has caused many schools to
review their curriculums for the 21st century, with an eye to the future of the
profession and the evolving demands of practice."

EMPHASIS ON EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Learning about new technology and practice operations is not limited to
the classroom. Most law schools offer clinics, but some have built out think
tanks and innovation hubs where law students can get hands-on tech experience or real-world training with clients and cases.
By focusing on experiential learning, law schools are training students to
operate in a world where attorneys are expected to effectively advise clients
while also having an entrepreneur's knack for technology and social media,
as well as mastery of business development.
This not only makes good sense - it is mandated by the ABA. The ABA's
Standard 303 mandates that accredited law schools require each student to
satisfactorily complete at least six credit hours of experiential learning,
including clinic work, field placements, practica, or simulation courses.
https://www.dcbar.org/
Washington Lawyer - September 2019

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