Pushing The Boundaries or Preserving the Status Quo? Designing clinical programs to teach law students a deep understanding of ethical practice

Abstract

The clinical legal education environment is one that is ripe with professional and ethical situations. Students involved in this educational experience inevitably are exposed to ethical dilemmas and choices. In this paper we examine the role played by clinical legal education programs in the development of ethical awareness among those law students. Within the context of the well documented concerns in the wider legal profession as to the standard of ethics teaching and ethical practice we assert that the clinical environment provides a rich opportunity for a deep learning experience about the nature and extent of a legal practitioner’s professional and ethical responsibilities.