Seattle University Collaborative Projects - International Academy of ...

Using Communication Models to Teach Relational Competencies in Law SchoolSusan Brooks, Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law (susan.brooks@drexel.edu)Legal educators are partnering with practitioners and judges to humanize law school and to useexperiential and public service opportunities to prepare students. Movements such as ClinicalLegal Education and Therapeutic Jurisprudence have generated scholarship that explores theunderpinnings of this new partnership. A prime example is “Relationship Centered Lawyering,”(“RCL”) a holistic framework developed by Susan Brooks and Robert Madden, both of whomare credentialed in law and social work. RCL focuses on three areas of competency everyeffective lawyer needs: (a) understanding theory about the person-in-context, (b) promotingprocedural justice, and (c) appreciating interpersonal, cultural, and emotional issues. This paperand workshop, co-authored and co-presented by Susan Brooks and David Boulding(www.davidboulding.com), will advance the understanding of relational lawyering bydemonstrating how to teach relational competencies using an integration of several welldevelopedcommunication models. These models include the Haven Communication Model,developed by Drs. Jock McKeen and Bennet Wong, the Coordinated Management of Meaning(CMM) Model, developed by Drs. Barnett Pearce and Vernon Cronen, and the AppreciativeInquiry Model, originally developed by Dr. David Cooperrider and his colleagues. All of thesemodels share three characteristics. First, they recognize that each individual brings a context intoevery interaction. Second, they encourage a posture of curiosity and mindfulness. And third,they embrace the idea that language choices matter, and that effective communication can createpositive change in individuals, groups, and larger communities. After introducing the models,the paper/workshop will provide examples of how law students can practice using these models.Diversity and Higher Education: Exploring Therapeutic Jurisprudence as anOrganizational Development StrategyJacqueline S. Dejean, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology(Jacqueline_dejean@mspp.edu)Recent US Supreme Court decisions have altered the definition of legally actionable diversityand with it complicated the ability of higher education institutions (HEI) to respond withpsychologically beneficial strategies. With diversity as the change stimulus and higher educationas the organizational system, this paper evaluates current diversity law and race-based diversityresearch with the intent of building a case for using therapeutic jurisprudence as anorganizational development (OD) tool for assessment of organizational psychological wellness.In the past decade, precedent setting lawsuits brought against HEIs, coupled with a changingsociopolitical landscape, have resulted in universities striving to defend their diversity practices.Empirical research by social psychologists increased our understanding of this changinglandscape. Their research identified compelling reasons to not only support diversity initiatives,but also expand diversity efforts to encourage interaction of people from many and varying497