Contributors to the fourth issue of the online Journal of Leadership and the Law report on law students working creatively to disrupt, innovate and lead in the legal profession.
“In this issue we try to highlight ways that Elon students are growing as individuals and engaging as whole people in their legal education,” Silverberg writes. “We believe that what these students are doing – who they are – embodies the type of leadership that law needs in the twenty-first century.”
“Leadership is concerned with whole people and whole communities,” Lewis writes. “The law is simply the platform. Who we are as whole people is much deeper than that. The study of law is at its best when students, professors and practitioners remember that what we do exists in a context. This context carries with it a responsibility of awareness and wholeness.”
HIGHLIGHTS FROM ISSUE FOUR OF THE JOURNAL OF LEADERSHIP AND THE LAW
Spotlight on Tyrone Davis L’14 by Janean L. Bryant, Class of 2015
The article reports on Davis’ experience as a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama to the 2014 State of the Union Address.
Spotlight on Babak Zarin L’14 by Morgan Furman, Class of 2016
In a capstone leadership project at Elon Law, Zarin focused on developing wellness programming for law students to “help students both in fostering a positive and supportive environment in the law school and in learning how to cope with the pressures of practice, pressures that when left unchecked can result in high levels of distress and even trauma.”
Spotlight on Elon Law and experiential learning by Shoshanna Silverberg
This article uses video clips to share insights from the national symposium on experiential education in law, held at Elon in June of 2014.
Gender and the Practice of Law: A Comparison of a Female Law Student’s Experience with the Experience of Female Lawyers, by Janean L. Bryant
Interviews with seven attorneys provide insight about the legal profession and the experience of female attorneys.
Neuro-Law: Eric Sievers’ Independent Project Exploring Neuroscience and the Law, by Britt Burch, Class of 2016
Burch reports on the research of fellow student Eric Sievers, saying, “[He] has displayed an innovative approach to the study of law by incorporating the careful analysis learned in law school with his interest in both cognitive science and philosophy.”
Burch concludes, writing “Elon University School of Law is not only producing future attorneys, it is molding future innovators and interdisciplinary scholars that are leading the way in legal education.”
The Holistic Tool Kit: A Look at How One Law Student is Making a Difference, by Evan Freemyer, Class of 2016
This article explores a blog created by Shoshanna Silverberg to help law students consider issues of work/life balance during and after law school.
Hierarchical Collaboration: The Impact of Organizational Structure on Communication, Cooperation, and Productivity in the Law Firm Environment, by Morgan Leigh Furman, Class of 2015
A look at the impact of power dynamics in legal practice settings and a call for more collaborative models.
“If law students enter the workforce prepared to embrace the values of collaboration, communication, and cooperation, we can adapt and utilize the organizational structure of the profession to affect a more productive practice of law,” writes Furman.
Justice for All, by Shoshanna Silverberg
A report on the Environment & Animal Law Society (EALS) at Elon Law.
“EALS’ approach to justice starts with offering students the opportunity to learn first-hand about environmental and animal rights issues,” Silverberg writes. “The idea is, once students witness injustice and simultaneously have an opportunity to participate in the work of healing victims and hearing from advocates about what policies do and don’t work on the ground, they will be stronger visionaries and advocates themselves. They will know how to speak to these issues and will likely develop long-term connections to the task of making a difference.”
The fourth issue of the Journal of Leadership and the Law is available here.