What does being a “whole lawyer” mean in 2018 … and beyond? From technology to ethics, Queen’s Law will be the hub of this essential conversation at the end of May. 

More than 200 professional legal educators will meet in Kingston from May 31 through June 2 for a three-day conference that brings together two of Canada’s leading legal teaching associations: ACCLE (the Association for Canadian Clinical Legal Education), and CALT (the Canadian Association of Law Teachers). 

“This isn’t our first joint conference,” explains Karla McGrath, LLM’13, Executive Director of the Queen’s Law Clinics in downtown Kingston and one of the conference’s organizers. “In fact, our theme for 2018 – The Whole Lawyer 2.0 – is a direct extension of an idea that we began exploring together in our 2017 conference.”

Grounded in the Calls for Action from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the work of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, “The Whole Lawyer” is a theme that directly affects both constituencies – law teachers in general, and clinical educators in particular. 

“The theme will let us explore a number of key topics and continue conversations started in 2017 on a number of things,” McGrath says. “It’s not just a conversation about technology and competencies, but also about how professional identities are developed, how character is shaped for legal professionals, and how we are moving forward to help respond to the TRC’s Calls for Action.”

With keynotes, panel options and plenary sessions, attendees will have access to more than 30 sessions on clinical and legal teaching. Subjects range from the use of technology to enhance pedagogy to how law clinics make a difference in access to justice in Canada, and much more besides. 

Starting with a keynote address by the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the conference will include plenary sessions such as “Teaching and Lawyering for Reconciliation.” With roundtables on legal technology and the future of law and large-group resource portals, open exchanges on regulatory issues and on the use of artificial intelligence to create skills-development simulations, the conference promises a remarkable amount of breadth.  

The conference will begin at breakfast on May 31, and continue for two full days, with a dinner in downtown Kingston for attendees on May 31 and a tour and reception at the Queen’s Law Clinics on June 1. An intense schedule of keynotes, plenary sessions and panels is also peppered with breaks and opportunities for colleagues from across the country to meet, catch up and exchange notes. 

“You can’t be involved in clinical education without appreciating the fact that the law is ultimately about people and how they connect,” McGrath says. “We’ve put together a stellar set of panels and events throughout this conference, but it’s equally important that our colleagues have time to meet informally, share their ideas, and compare strategies.” 

More details on the conference, including a draft schedule, can be found at the event’s Eventbrite Page.