1. Foundations of Work-Informed Learning

This Chapter sets out some foundational definitions of work-informed learning through the lens of two common contexts: clinics and externships.

To begin this journey, we begin with the foundational elements of an externship, followed by a clinic. Although this text uses the term “externship” and “clinic”, many of these concepts are equally helpful in a co-op or internship. Indeed, as law schools increasingly experiment with different work-informed contexts, these concepts help set the stage for connecting to these environments.

This Chapter starts with the most obvious question: what is a “clinic”? What is an “externship?”. Although each school will have its own nuanced approach to their program, there are many shared elements that are introduced here.

The Chapter then addresses the unique aspects of learning in a work-informed context – how do students go about learning in this context, and how is this different from other law school courses? What are some specific techniques or approaches to learning that are helpful?

The Chapter also introduces the importance of the people and communities from (and with) whom students will learn. Rather than the more typical “sage on a stage” model in which students learn from an instructor and perhaps their peers, work-informed learning inevitably widens the number and types of people from who a student learns. This Chapter sets out the roles and responsibilities of these people, as well as the ethical context of learning from and with clients and communities. In this Chapter, students are introduced to the “ecological context” of practice – the full panoply of people and environments that impact a learning and practice experience. In this way, students are situated as one part of a larger ecosystem working together toward justice goals in different environments.