Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions

A wonderful reflection on the work, impact, and servant leadership of Holloran Center Co-Director Neil Hamilton by St. Thomas Law 2L Kate Gaulke.

This past weekend, we were thrilled to host 29 guests from 18 schools, along with representatives from the American Bar Association, Association of American Law Schools, and Law School Admission Council (LSAC), at the School of Law campus for our “Workshop on Current Issues in Professional Identity Formation.” We covered many salient topics, from how to overcome resistance and develop a whole-building approach for PIF to addressing PIF in upper-level courses. In addition, we held 4 separate “speed-share” sessions in which nearly twenty participants shared details about their own schools’ initiatives around professional identity formation. We are grateful to our PIF community for joining us here in Minneapolis to further the movement and foster deep, supportive connections with one another. We also extend thanks to the members of our St. Thomas community who joined us - Daniel Kelly, who offered a warm welcome to our group, and Uyen Campbell, who joined us to share about St. Thomas's award-winning Mentor Externship program. Profoundly thoughtful ideas for new initiatives resulted from this weekend’s Workshop. We are looking forward to seeing how our community carries these new ideas forward and eagerly anticipate the next opportunity to convene! #legaleducation, #professionalidentityformation, #pif, #ustlaw, #lawschool, #pif

Associate Director David Grenardo is doing incredible work advocating for mandatory civility. We are grateful for his scholarship and efforts around this important and timely issue!

PEG is pleased to announce that speaker David Grenardo will be delivering the keynote address at the New Hampshire Bar Association Mid Year Meeting where they are anticipating over 500 attendees. Professor Grenardo will talk about Cultivating Civility and discuss the concept of mandatory civility in the profession. He will also be addressing the audience as part of a panel discussion/fireside chat as to issues impacting the legal profession in the modern age. A special thank you to Vince O'Brien and his hard working staff for coordinating what is certain to be an amazing day for the attendees.

Megan Short Bess, Assistant Professor and Director of the Externship Program at University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, recently published an illuminating article about the impact of different law school experiences on professional identity formation, grounding her analysis in a research study of UIC Law graduates. The results of her study point to the importance of experiential learning: “Aside from working outside of law school, most of the highest rated experiences fall under the umbrella of experiential education,” she writes. Professor Bess summarized her article for the Holloran Center blog here: https://lnkd.in/gEzVbWnz Or, you can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gVb6Y_jZ #professionalidentityformation #lawschool #legaled #experiential #uiclaw?

Katya Cronin, Associate Professor in the George Washington University Fundamentals of Lawyering program, recently published, “Value-Centered Lawyering: Reshaping the Law School Curriculum to Promote Well-Being, Quality Client Representation, and a Thriving Legal Field.” In this article she explores one cause of the diminished health, well-being, and professional dedication of lawyers: the disconnect between lawyers’ personal values and the interests they are asked to represent. “What law students often take away from their time in law school is that their own personal beliefs, values, and experiences are irrelevant to the practice of law,” she writes. Seeking answers as to why this disconnect exists, Cronin highlights the negative impact of a law school curriculum whose hidden message is to seek “extrinsic rewards” over “intrinsic values”. Finally, she presents suggestions around ways to integrate a focus on values into the legal curriculum. You can find the abstract of this article on the Holloran Center blog: https://lnkd.in/gRV6Q8KT Or, read the full piece on SSRN: https://lnkd.in/gbhHMyAf? ?

The Holloran Center’s Competency Milestones, which are free to download on our website, are a?set of rubrics created to help legal educators develop syllabi, coaching programs, and mentoring plans. The Milestones cover the development stages of different learning outcomes, encompassing skills, mindsets, and professional habits that help aspiring and young lawyers excel. These milestones offer clear, actionable benchmarks across key areas like: Cultural Competency – Embracing diversity and working effectively across differences.? Grit & Resilience – Building perseverance and adaptability.? Client-Centered Judgment – Developing thoughtful, ethical decision-making.? Professional Communication – Mastering written and verbal skills for effective advocacy and collaboration. Whether you’re designing a course, advising, or mentoring, we encourage you to make use of these rubrics to assess and support the professional development of your students and mentees. Explore the Milestones here: https://lnkd.in/gCEpd89i #hollorancenter, #professionalidentity, #law, #legaleducation, #milestones

Professor David Grenardo spoke at the 2024 UNESCO Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination held in Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 10-11. The international conference brought together leaders from across the globe to share knowledge and strategies, promote collaboration and offer support for countries in crafting and implementing effective anti-racism policies. Grenardo was a panelist for the conference’s session, “Understanding and Confronting Racism in Sport.” Participants discussed the impact of racist behavior from fans and its implications for athletes, as well as the role of athletes and sports organizations in combating racism and fostering a culture of respect and inclusion. While at the conference, Grenardo was also part of the launch of the new UNESCO Fit for Life Network Against Racism. He has been asked to be part of this new collective of athletes, experts, sports organizations and other relevant stakeholders who will focus on fighting racism in sports and promote inclusion and equality worldwide. Read more about Grenardo's participation in the UNESCO Global Forum at https://lnkd.in/gP5VT3z5. Photo (L to R): Professor Grenardo; Chatilla van Grinsven, basketball player from The Netherlands; and Aauri Bokesa OLY, track and field Olympian from Spain. #ustlawmn?#UNESCO?#FightRacism?#EndDiscrimination?#GlobalForum?#Barcelona2024?#InclusiveSociety?#RacialEquity?#GenderEquality

Do you find yourself wracked by anxiety or dealing with the blues during the holidays? If so, you’re not alone – a poll conducted by the American Psychological Association showed that “41% of adults said their stress levels increase during the holiday season as compared to other times of the year.”?? ? In our latest blog post, Stephanie Kupferman and Colette Schmidt of Vermont Law and Graduate School tackle the impact of holiday stress on lawyers. While the holidays are now drawing to a close, the burnout resulting from a season when personal and professional demands reach their apex may still be in full swing for you or a lawyer you love. ? ? We hope you will take a moment to pause in your busy day and “put [your] oxygen mask on” with some tips from Schmidt and Kupferman. Their full post can be found here:?https://lnkd.in/gDP4PZ2Z? ? #professionalidentity #professionalidentityformation #wellness #wellbeing #law #lawyers #ustlaw?#vermontlaw

Professor Neil Hamilton has published "Professional Identity Formation and the NextGen Bar Open Opportunities for Law Student and Law School Success." Read it on SSRN at https://lnkd.in/ggj64yvD. #ustlawmn #professionalidentity #professionalformation #lawschool #lawstudent #professionaldevelopment #nextgenbar #standard303 #professionalvalues