The message below is from Alan Kirtley (U of Washington), the current Chair of AALS Section on Clinical Legal Education.  Not surprisingly he is heavily involved in this year’s AALS Clinical Conference.  More info about the conference is here, so I’ve taken the liberty to edit the parts of his message about the general conference.  Warning – I will be sending this message out on the ADR listserv as well.

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 Dear ADR Clinical Colleagues: 

Two ADR clinicians are (semi-desperately) needed to serve as working group leaders at the 2013 Clinical Conference, to occur from April 28 – May 1, 2013 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.   If you are interested, please send your expression of interest to 13clinical@aals.org.  The balance of this message is general information about the Conference and serving as a working group leader.

Best Wishes,

Alan

Entitled “The Value of Variety:  Opportunities, Implications and Challenges of Diversification in Clinical Programs,” the Conference will explore the increasing range of clinic types, focuses and teaching methods within clinical education. Plenaries, concurrents and poster presentations will prompt participants to consider how their own work both fits within and contributes to this diversity. We seek to encourage conversations between clinicians in different parts of the clinical community, relying on our reflective tradition to identify areas of mutual influence and support. 

To this end, the first two working group sessions will consist of mixed groups, with participants drawn from a range of different affiliations. Working group leaders will have both the chance and the challenge of moderating discussions between clinicians across diverse clinic types and focuses. The plenaries and their associated concurrents will offer both theoretical and practical material in support of these discussions. 

The last two working group sessions will return to topically focused groups. This will allow each of these groups to discuss lessons from the diverse groups with those who work in a similar field.  It will also permit the reestablishment of contacts and mutual support within these affiliations that have proven such a valuable part of earlier conferences. 

As in the past, we will ask you to engage in some advance planning to facilitate meaningful consideration of the Conference’s theme, foster continuing dialogue in this regard, and ensure that participants have a forum to share their thoughts and experiences. Working group leaders will need to be present at the Conference by Sunday, April 28, at 5:00 p.m. for a preparation meeting. You will need to stay for the entire Conference, through Wednesday, May 1, 5:15 p.m.

 Working group leaders, like all law school teachers who participate in the Clinical Conference, pay the registration fee and their own expenses for the conference.