The Wake Forest Law Review is incredibly excited to present the 2023 Symposium: Leading Change in the Legal Profession.
The Symposium will be held on February 24, 2023, live at the Wake Forest University School of Law in Worrell 1312.
The Symposium will feature speakers from across the country discussing timely issues concerning law schools’ capacity to shape the professional identity of law students, the growth and significance of experiential education in law school curriculum, the role of judges in mediating social change, the history and status of women leaders in the legal profession, and the ways technology should be harnessed in modernizing legal education and practice.
The schedule is as follows:
- 8:00 – 9:00 AM: Registration and Breakfast
- 9:00 – 9:15 AM: Opening Remarks
- 9:15 – 10:30 AM – Session One: Experiential Education and Lawyer Development – Luke Bierman (Elon School of Law), Kendall Kerew (Georgia State College of Law), Timothy Floyd (Mercer School of Law), and Maria Savasta-Kennedy (University of North Carolina School of Law).
- The “Experiential Education and Lawyer Development” panel will explore the history of experiential education in law schools; the current status of experiential education in American legal education; and the role of experiential education, including clinics, externships, simulations, and more in shaping the professional identity of law students and lawyers. This panel will highlight the importance of experiential education in preparing law students to become the kind of lawyers our world needs.
- 10:40 – 11:50 AM – Session Two: Professional Identity Formation of Law Students – Lisle Baker (Suffolk Law School), Janice Craft (University of Richmond School of Law), Neil Hamilton (St. Thomas Law School/Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions), and Ruth Pearce (ALLE LLC).
- The “Professional Identity Formation of Law Students” panel will consider the ABA’s recent changes to Standard 303, which will require law schools to aid students in the development of a professional identity, to help students recognize bias, and to develop students’ cross-cultural competence, while also engaging broader questions regarding the proper role and scope of legal education in developing leadership and character capacities of students.
- 12:00 – 12:45 PM: Lunch Break
- 12:50 – 1:50 PM – Session Three: Keynote Speech – The Honorable Eleni Roumel, U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- 1:55 – 3:05 PM – Session Four: Women Leading in Law – Courtney Elwood (former General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency), Veronica Root Martinez (Duke School of Law), and Allessandra Stewart (Assistant U.S. Attorney).
- The “Women Leading in Law” panel will consider the rise of women in the legal profession—acknowledging progress from recent years while also highlighting contemporary issues and challenges that continue to hinder women of all backgrounds from leading in the law. It is our hope that this panel will add valuable context to broader conversations regarding the opportunities and challenges facing women attorneys in private, government, and non-profit settings.
- 3:15 – 4:30 PM Session Five: Modernizing Legal Education – Mark Martin (High Point School of Law), Leah Teague (Baylor Law School), and Raina Haque (Wake Forest School of Law).
- The “Modernizing Legal Education” panel will consider the ways that legal education can and should adapt to meet the changing needs of the legal profession as well as the needs of those who rely upon the profession. Emerging technologies are not only reshaping how we deliver educational content but also changing how we perceive the nature and function of law itself. This panel will provide panelists a wide-ranging opportunity to explore challenges and opportunities regarding how we educate law students and practice law.
Please register to attend using this link. Please register even if you plan to attend in person so we have a record of attendees.
Our application for CLE credit is pending approval. Those who wish to be considered for CLE credit if approved must provide their NC Bar number on the registration form.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you on February 24!