Date Chartered: 1/1/1973

Purpose

The Section on Clinical Legal Education promotes the communication of ideas, interests and activities among members of the Section and makes recommendations on matters concerning clinical legal education.

Annual Meeting Programs

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

Awards

Section of the Year

2018 Winner

William Pincus Award

The purpose of this award is to honor individuals, groups or institutions for effecting an outstanding contribution to the cause of clinical legal education. This award may be announced formally at the AALS annual meeting or at an annual clinical conference or workshop. The criteria for the William Pincus Award shall be based on scholarship, program design and implementation, or other activity beneficial to clinical education or to the advancement of justice.

Shanara Gilbert Award

Designed to honor an “emerging clinician,” the M. Shanara Gilbert Award is for a recent entrant (10 years or fewer) into clinical legal education who has demonstrated some or all of the following qualities:

  • a commitment to teaching and achieving social justice, particularly in the areas of race and the criminal justice system;
  • a passion for providing legal services and access to justice to individuals and groups most in need;
  • service to the cause of clinical legal education or to the AALS Section on Clinical Legal Education;
  • an interest in international clinical legal education; and
  • an interest in the beauty of nature (desirable, but not required)

Recipients

YearAward NameRecipientLaw School
2023Ellmann Memorial Clinical Scholarship AwardAnna CarpenterUniversity of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.
2023Ellmann Memorial Clinical Scholarship AwardColleen ShanahanColumbia Law School
2022M. Shanara Gilbert AwardAnita SinhaAmerican University, Washington College of Law
2022Ellmann Memorial Clinical Scholarship AwardDeborah ArcherNew York University, School of Law
2022Ellmann Memorial Clinical Scholarship AwardRichard J. WilsonAmerican University, Washington College of Law
2021William Pincus AwardSusan BennettAmerican University, Washington College of Law
2021William Pincus AwardNancy MaurerAlbany Law School
2020Shanara Gilbert AwardAlexis KarteronRutgers Law School
2020William Pincus AwardPaul TremblayBoston College Law School
2019Shanara Gilbert AwardSara RogersonAlbany Law School
2019William Pincus AwardAlexander ScherrUniversity of Georgia School of Law
2019William Pincus AwardDavid SantaroceUniversity of Michigan Law School
2018Shanara Gilbert AwardAlina BallUniversity of California, Hastings College of the Law
2018William Pincus AwardCarol IzumiUniversity of California, Hastings College of the Law
2017Shanara Gilbert AwardChi Adanna MgbakoFordham University School of Law
2017William Pincus AwardFrank AskinRutgers Law School
2017William Pincus AwardThomas F. GeraghtyNorthwestern University Pritzker School of Law
2016Shanara Gilbert AwardPerry MorieartyUniversity of Minnesota Law School
2016William Pincus AwardBryan L. AdamsonSeattle University School of Law
2015Shanara Gilbert AwardJoNel NewmanUniversity of Miami School of Law
2015William Pincus AwardAnn C. ShalleckAmerican University, Washington College of Law
2014Shanara Gilbert AwardLisa BlissGeorgia State University College of Law
2014William Pincus AwardJeanne CharmHarvard Law School
2013Shanara Gilbert AwardSarah Gerwig-MooreMercer University School of Law
2013William Pincus AwardPhillip G. SchragUniversity of California, Los Angeles School of Law
2012Shanara Gilbert AwardKimberly AmbroseUniversity of Washington School of Law
2012William Pincus AwardRobert R. KuehnWashington University School of Law
2011Shanara Gilbert AwardNekima Levy-PoundsUniversity of St. Thomas School of Law
2011William Pincus AwardChristine Zuni CruzUniversity of New Mexico School of Law
2010Shanara Gilbert AwardCharles AuffantRutgers School of Law – Newark
2010William Pincus AwardRobert DinersteinAmerican University, Washington College of Law
2009Shanara Gilbert AwardRon WhitenerUniversity of Washington School of Law
2009William Pincus AwardMargaret Martin BarryThe Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
2008Shanara Gilbert AwardKris HenningGeorgetown University Law Center
2008William Pincus AwardJohn ElsonNorthwestern University Prtizker School of Law
2007Shanara Gilbert AwardPam MetzgerTulane University School of Law
2007William Pincus AwardAnthony V. AlfieriUniversity of Miami School of Law
2006Shanara Gilbert AwardMichael PinardUniversity of Maryland School of Law
2006William Pincus AwardDavid BinderUniversity of California, Los Angeles School of Law
2005Shanara Gilbert AwardMelissa BregerAlbany Law School
2005William Pincus AwardJ. Michael NorwoodUniversity of New Mexico School of Law
2004Shanara Gilbert AwardEsther Canty-BarnesRutgers School of Law – Newark
2004William Pincus AwardRandy HertzNew York University School of Law
2003Shanara Gilbert AwardBeth LyonVillanova University Charles Widger School of Law
2003William Pincus AwardSandy OgilvyThe Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
2002Shanara Gilbert AwardGrady JessupNorth Carolina Central University School of Law
2002William Pincus AwardBernida ReaganEast Bay Community Law Center
2002William Pincus AwardLouise TrubekUniversity of Wisconsin Law School
2001Shanara Gilbert AwardAdele BernhardElisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
2001William Pincus AwardPeter A. JoyWashington University in St. Louis School of Law
2000William Pincus AwardE. Clinton BambergerUniversity of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
1999William Pincus AwardKatherine Shelton BroderickU.D.C. David A. Clarke School of Law
1998William Pincus AwardSteve WiznerYale Law School
1997William Pincus AwardEdgar CahnU.D.C. David A. Clarke School of Law
1997William Pincus AwardJean CahnAntioch, posthumously
1996William Pincus AwardWally MlyniecGeorgetown University Law Center
1995William Pincus AwardClinical Law ReviewN/A
1994William Pincus AwardHarriet RabbColumbia Law School
1993William Pincus AwardRoy StuckeyUniversity of South Carolina School of Law
1992William Pincus AwardElliott MilsteinAmerican University, Washington College of Law
1991William Pincus AwardSue BryantCity University of New York School of Law
1990William Pincus AwardBea MoultonUniversity of California, Hastings College of Law
1989William Pincus AwardGary PalmUniversity of Chicago, The Law School
1988William Pincus AwardWilliam PincusUnlisted
1987William Pincus AwardGary BellowHarvard Law School
1986William Pincus AwardTony AmsterdamNew York University School of Law
1985William Pincus AwardDean Hill RivkinUniversity of Tennessee College of Law
1984William Pincus AwardRobert McKayUnlisted
1983William Pincus AwardWilliam GreenhalghGeorgetown University Law Center
1982William Pincus AwardHon. Neil SmithD. IA
1981William Pincus AwardDavid BarnhizerCleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University

Clinical Law Review

The Clinical Law Review is a semi-annual, peer-edited journal devoted to issues of lawyering theory and clinical legal education. It is jointly sponsored by the AALS, the Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA), and New York University School of Law. The Review is edited, administered and financially supported by New York University School of Law.

Committee Chairs

Interested in getting more involved in the Clinical Section? Contact a Committee Chair for more information.

CommitteeChairsLaw School
Alternative Dispute ResolutionMattie RobertsonThe University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Donna Erez-NavotUniversity of Florida Levin College of Law
Clinicians of ColorTameka LesterGeorgia State University College of Law
Sherley CruzUniversity of Tennessee College of Law
CommunicationsGail SilversteinUniversity of California, Hastings College of Law
ExternshipsNira Geevargis University of California, Hastings College of Law
Amanda RivasSt. Mary’s University School of Law
Interdisciplinary CommitteeColleen BoracaNorthern Illinois University College of Law
Lucy Johnston-WalshThe Pennsylvania State University – Penn State Law
Jennifer OliviaSeton Hall University School of Law
International Clinical EducationSarah PaolettiUniversity of Pennsylvania Law School
Gillian DuttonSeattle University School of Law
Membership, Training, and Outreach
Katy RamseyThe University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
NominationsEmily SuskiUniversity of South Carolina School of Law
Amy PritchardUniversity of Arkansas (Little Rock) William H. Bowen School of Law
PolicyKim ConnollyUniversity at Buffalo School of Law, The State University of New York
ScholarshipKim ThomasUniversity of Michigan Law School
TechnologyMichele PistoneVillanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Teaching MethodologiesBenjie LouisMaurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University
Jean PhillipsUniversity of Kansas School of Law
Transactional Law ClinicsLynnise PantinColumbia Law School
Ted De BarbieriAlbany Law School

Coronavirus Response

The section is committed to assisting clinicians in responding to COVID-19 and its impact on our clients, students and communities. As a first step we have set up a dropbox folder to collect and make available any policy materials folks are generating.  We encourage clinicians to add files to this folder and access materials posted by colleagues.

Message from the 2024 Chairs

Dear Colleagues,

With 2024 upon us, we returned to some sense of post-pandemic normalcy, yet we find ourselves in tumultuous times grappling with widening wars, political discord, and retrenchment in the progress towards social justice. Our campuses and the communities we serve are the site of many of these battles.   In the face of uncertainty and challenges in the year ahead, we are grateful for the collective courage, compassion and creativity of our clinical community, fueling us to action as we educate our students and fight for justice.

There is a lot happening with respect to clinical legal education.  On the one hand, it’s exciting to see the preparation for implementing ABA Standards 303(b) and (c) now bearing fruit. But clinicians at some schools are bearing most of the responsibility for that work, and many are trying to heed the call to educate students about racism and bias amidst a hostile political environment. Additionally, clinical education is more central than ever, to the point where the ABA is contemplating a further increase in experiential course requirements. But that will require a corresponding increase in resources to maintain our pedagogical values. The environment in which we are teaching and representing clients is also rapidly changing. We are trying to understand the impact of the NextGen Bar, alternative licensing pathways, and generative AI on our work.

These are just some of the issues raised by clinicians who attended our Section business meeting at the AALS Annual Meeting in early January.  To support our community as we navigate these issues, the Executive Committee identified several priorities for our work over the upcoming year, both at the Executive Committee level and through our committees.

First, we plan to build on the work of our predecessors, Anita and Norrinda, to reinvigorate our committees where needed, and strengthen the relationship between our committees and the Executive Committee, so that committees have the support they need to carry out the priorities of the Section.  Some of the committee work is focused on supporting teaching, including the developments in the profession we mentioned above, as well as expanding support for new teachers. Some work is focused on protecting and advancing the status of clinicians within the academy and in a politically divided world, which will happen both through the work of committees and directly through the EC.  Moreover, we want to make sure committee chairs and members are recognized for their work to support the Section, both within the Section and within their institutions.

We ask you to consider how you can support the work of the Section through committees. Please take a moment to review the charges of each of the committees and sign up for one or two that interest you, and to indicate your interest in leadership opportunities.

Second, in the spirit of ABA Standard 303(c), we hope to model best practices for DEI in our own organization, developing leadership pathways and a sense of belonging for the diverse range of voices within the clinical community. But we also continue our work externally to support schools and faculty as they are implementing the Standard, looking for ways for clinicians to offer leadership while inviting other parts of the academy into what should be a widespread and shared endeavor.

That dovetails with our final goal, which is to increase the visibility and reach of the Section across the broader clinical and AALS community. We will look for ways to expand our presence at the AALS Annual Meeting and across the academy, to build bridges and develop mutual respect through co-sponsorships and compelling events. We also aim to collaborate with the Clinical Legal Education Association and the Clinical Law Review to determine the best ways we can support clinicians in our respective roles. And we will look for more ways to further build a sense of community among clinicians.

Joining us in our work this year are the other members of the 2024 Executive Committee:

  • Chair-Elect: Natalie Nanasi (SMU)
  • Treasurer: Susan Hazeldean (Brooklyn)
  • Secretary: Julie Dahlstrom (Boston)
  • Immediate Past Co-Chair: Norrinda Brown Hayat (Fordham)
  • Immediate Past Co-Chair:  Anita Sinha (American)
  • Member: Anne Gordon (Duke)
  • Member: Allison Freedman (New Mexico)
  • Member: Beth Locker (Vermont)
  • Member: Priya Baskaran (American)
  • Member: Nira Geevargis (U.C. Law S.F.)

On behalf of the Executive Committee, thank you for the work you do in these uncertain times, with courage and steadiness in support of our clients, students, and colleagues.  We look forward to learning together and providing mutual support, including this May in St. Louis.

Be well,

Kele Stewart (Miami) and Sarah Shalf (University of Virginia)

View the Message from 2023 Chairs

Newsletters

Webinars & Webinar Recordings

Upcoming

Nothing currently scheduled

Past

Innovative Approaches to Rule 303(c)
April 19, 2024

Self-Assessment and Strengths-Based Coaching, Lisa M. Patterson

Teaching Ideas for Incorporating Anti-Racism in In-house Clinics and Externships: Part 1
October 8, 2021

Using Data on Race, Poverty and Inequality, Angela B. Cornell
An examination on how data provides insights that can be used to help students understand the systemic nature of discrimination.

What Would You Do?, Richard Frankel
Tools for navigating difficult questions around when and how to speak out.

Moving from the Margins Into the Center, Artika R. Tyner
Social change demands inclusive and deliberate leadership—and a plan to bring it all together. Dr. Tyner will share practical teaching strategies and pedagogical approaches on how law students can take strategic action for justice and equity.