Northern Kentucky Law Expands Focus on What it Means to be a Lawyer

Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law has embarked on a major effort to expand and coordinate its programming and classes to help students envision their responsibilities for what it means to be a lawyer.

Under the umbrella of the recently endowed David and Nancy Wolf Chair in Ethics and Professional Identity, the college is supporting education and programming in ways that unify law school accrediting standards of the American Bar Association and similar, universal professional ideals.

For students – and, in some instances, the general public – that means opportunities for involvement in issues of ethics, professionalism, social justice and understanding of diversity and inclusivity, pro bono work and public-interest service, and personal well-being. Collectively, they comprise a concept of professional identity – what it means to be a lawyer, the obligations of lawyers to clients and society, and maintaining a life balance to be able to carry it all out.

“Our students can delve deeply into their professional identity formation journey, exploring how to best care for their clients and themselves in this high-stakes career path,” says Dean Judith Daar. “Programming that exposes students to examples of ethical lawyering, both historic and current, has been very well-received.”

With faculty and staff members as guides, this is how Chase is helping students understand what it means to be a lawyer:

• The journey students begin at Chase will continue throughout their practices.
  “Law schools in general, and Chase in particular, are well-positioned to provide guidance, inspiration and instruction to enable future lawyers in the development of an ethical and professional view of their role in society in serving justice, fairness and truth throughout their legal careers.” – Wolf Chair Professor Jack Harrison
• Classes include a new course on utilizing technology in pursuit of justice, the long-established foundational course of Professional Responsibility and some fresh historical perspective.
  “The Artificial Intelligence, Technology and Social Justice course helps students evaluate ways we can use AI and other technological tools to improve social justice and access-to-justice issues.” – Professor Michelle Browning Coughlin, who designed and teaches the course
• Professional Responsibility focuses on the Model Rules of Professional Conduct so students can understand how everything they learn fits into what it means to be a lawyer.
  “I teach the course with a constant eye to the here and now. The class discussion is usually a real-time role-play in which students have to make decisions that are ideally as challenging as the ones faced by the lawyers in the case reading,” – Professor John Bickers
• For perspective, the course “Shedding Shackles: The Life & Legacy of Salmon P. Chase” offers a contemporary examination of the professional challenges of the 19th century Cincinnati lawyer and Chief Justice for whom the college is named.
  “The entire course is built around the concept of lawyers’ obligations to society. We discuss the historical work Chase did in that capacity and what shape that takes for lawyers in our community today.” – Professor Jennifer Kinsley, who teaches the course
• Numerous clinic opportunities connect the impact of law to individuals and society.
  “Among them, the Children’s Law Center Clinic does case work and policy work on children’s issues, through direct representation and community education and policy projects.” – Professor Amy Halbrook, associate dean for experiential learning
• Attention to personal wellbeing, including a focused student organization and ongoing college support, helps students learn to cope with pressures of the profession (and of law school).
  “The world, including the practice of law, will throw us curveballs, obstacles and stressors, but if one practices wellbeing, then one becomes more resilient and can effectively manage these things without being undone by them.” – Ashley Siemer, director of student affairs

With an integrated emphasis on doctrinal courses and what it means to be a lawyer, Chase is preparing students for practicing law … and for understanding that their careers will involve more than just knowing the law.