Hydra: A Creative Training Tool for Critical Legal Advocacy and Ethics

Critical Studies in Improvisation, Vol 12, No 1 (2017)

14 Pages Posted: 26 Apr 2018

See all articles by Sara Ramshaw

Sara Ramshaw

University of Victoria Faculty of Law

Adnan Marquez-Borbon

Autonomous University of Baja California

Seamus Mulholland

The Bar of Northern Ireland

Paul Stapleton

Queen's University Belfast - Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC)

Date Written: 2017

Abstract

This article details the development and aims, as well as the key tenets, of the improvisational “game piece,” Hydra, which was invented by the AHRC-funded Into the Key of Law research team, with the input of participants in the initial pilot and discussions with focus group and audience members at various international conferences and events. Hydra is a response to perceived deficiencies in traditional moot court or advocacy training in common law legal education, which is often criticized for failing to adequately prepare advocates to be nimble-footed in the courtroom and able to respond quickly and responsively to unexpected situations or the needs of their clients. In contrast, Hydra, named after the serpent-like water monster with numerous heads in Greek mythology, hones legal argumentation skills, requiring participants to be Hydra-headed and skilled at rapidly analyzing a legal issue from a variety of angles and perspectives, teaching advocates to be prepared for the unexpected. This article focuses on the importance of moulding creative, critical, and ethical legal advocates and how improvisation can be used as a pedagogical tool or practice to inspire such creativity, openness and empathy. In the final section, the authors outline the components or “rules” of Hydra and the deficiencies they think this game piece will address in legal education.

Keywords: Moot court, advocacy training, improvisation, musical improvisation, John Zorn, pedagogy, lawyering, Hydra, ethics

Suggested Citation

Ramshaw, Sara and Marquez-Borbon, Adnan and Mulholland, Seamus and Stapleton, Paul, Hydra: A Creative Training Tool for Critical Legal Advocacy and Ethics (2017). Critical Studies in Improvisation, Vol 12, No 1 (2017), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3158462 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3158462

Sara Ramshaw (Contact Author)

University of Victoria Faculty of Law ( email )

PO Box 1700 STN CSC
Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2
Canada

Adnan Marquez-Borbon

Autonomous University of Baja California ( email )

Blvd. Juan A. Zertuche y Blvd. De Los Lagos
S/N Valle Dorado
Ensenada, Baja California 22890
Mexico

Seamus Mulholland

The Bar of Northern Ireland ( email )

91 Chichester St.
Belfast
United Kingdom

Paul Stapleton

Queen's University Belfast - Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC)

Cloreen Park
Belfast, BT9 5HN
United Kingdom

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