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Practical tips on this methodology
In this section I offer some varied pieces of hands-on advice about the conduct of community-based field projects in the law school setting. Like the rest of the site, this segment is open-ended, and further postings may be added in the future.
A. Tips for community groups
Identifying good project settings
Some words to the wise about law students
B. Tips for law students
Relating to community partners, planning teamwork, etc.
C. Tips for teachers
Confidentiality concerns:
lawyer-client, human subjects, child abuse
Summer 2004
From the point of view of a community-based group, collaborations with college and university students can sometimes be terrific. When they go well, they can be rewarding for all parties concerned, and they do sometimes produce actual, concrete deliverables for grassroots groups. However, they can also turn out to be a real headache, and a thief of a group’s scarce time. I certainly have no magic pearls of wisdom that can guarantee good outcomes, but I think there are some ways that a community-based organization can improve its chances of finding good matches and avoiding poor ones.
First, if you are a visitor from a community-based organization, you may want to take a look at another part of this page, where I attempt to lay out a set of predictors for projects that I believe are likely to end up as “good” placements. The section is called “Identifying Good Project Settings,” and you can find it in the section of the Teacher’s Overview called Emerging Lessons. (As you will see, my course goals include a place for the interests and needs of the community group, and also a place for the interests and needs of the students. For a given project, the goals for the group would need to be further fleshed out. At any rate, the discussion of objectives should give you a window into how teachers may approach course-related community projects, and how they think about their goals for student learning. I make no claim that my approach is typical, but at least it gives you one example.)
Second, you might be interested in an advisory document that I have sometimes given to community partner groups to help them get ready to host, supervise and collaborate with law students in my courses. In it I try to point out some things about academic institutions, their customs and cultural practices, that may help community groups better understand and plan for working with students and professors. Click here to see the document.
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