Many Roads to Justice: The Law Related Work of Ford ... - UNDP

BA N G L A D E S H 1 4 5Groarke (subsequently the Novib consultant) undertook a varietyof tasks. They helped formulate new courses and introduced newteaching methods that emphasized practical training, and theydemonstrated by example how these courses and methods couldbe employed.The clinics aimed to upgrade Bangladeshi student skills whileexposing them to legal aid and NGO work. This experience takesplace at a crucially formative stage in the students’ careers, whenmany mix idealism with surprising cynicism about their professi o n ’s ethics and orientation. As one observer put it, “NGO exposurecan help put these students in touch with their country’sproblems, because many of them [coming from relatively privilegedbackgrounds] are removed from that reality.” NGO linksalso can create a “pipeline effect,” helping to convert student dedicationinto concrete knowledge and actions that broaden thecommunity of legal activists. Some may commit to NGO or probono work after graduation; others might develop new perspectiveson social justice. And as their role in the legal professiongrows over the years, they could become powerful voices forr e f o r m .As the clinical programs matured, so did the potential to linkthem to NGOs. Groarke helped assess how NGOs could use students,and acquainted these organizations with the considerablework involved in supervising interns. To avoid misunderstandings,she provided written guidelines to both the law schools andthe NGOs regarding student placements. These preparations ledto student internships that Groarke reports are starting to “workwell for the NGOs as a recruiting mechanism” for attracting toplaw graduates to such organizations as BELA and BLAST. Anumber of students reportedly have built on their clinical experiencesto conduct legal awareness sessions for impoverishedBangladeshis during their semester breaks, reflecting a possibleinterest in continuing to provide assistance after they becomeattorneys. Groarke speculates that whereas some law students otherwisemight have sought involvement in the bitter (and even violent)political battles that periodically plague Bangladeshi campuses,they now have an outlet for more constructive engagementwith societal issues.