Legal Education and the Formation of Professional Identity: A Critical Spirituo-Humanistic - 'Humanity Consciousness' - Perspective

Abstract:     
This article examines the interests of nontraditional law students and explores how they are sacrificed to the dominant interests controlling legal education. Using recent studies that describe unhappiness in legal education, this article offers opportunities to reconstruct legal education in order to develop the whole human being.

The focal point of such a reform effort would revolve around a humanity consciousness approach to law school education. Humanity consciousness is a pedagogy of sensitivity infused with a spiritually grounded humanism available to all law students. It could take form through the offering of courses or teach-ins to students who want exposure to non-mainstream ideology in the law. Humanity consciousness ultimately may serve as a revelation to students of how power dynamics are at play in traditional legal education and may help transform such education through reflection, challenge and a demand for change.

Keywords: Critical race theory, Humanity Consciousness, legal education, law students, professional identity, legal profession

Accepted Paper Series