Before It\u27s Too Late: Neuropsychological Consequences of Child Neglect and Their Implications for Law and Social Policy

Recent developments in the neurosciences have led to dramatic breakthroughs in the area of brain development and the understanding of consequences of neglect. Because this process was heretofore not understood, legislators have been wary of drafting child protection statutes that afforded the possibility for arbitrary interference with families. Strict statutory standards have been adopted that allow coercive intervention only in cases where the child is at substantial risk of imminent physical harm, or after some of the most severe consequences of neglect have been identified. These laws do not consider developmental harm because it does not present an imminent danger of physical injury, yet such harm will affect a child throughout life. Current understanding of brain development demonstrates the need for proper nutrition and stimulation during the first three years of life in order for the brain to develop the crucial neurological networks that are foundational to the functioning of an individual. The inadequacy of early brain development has permanent and irreversible consequences, leading to problems in physical, cognitive, emotional, and social domains. Costs to individuals and society as a result of these consequences are generally overlooked. Public policy should be based on current knowledge of brain development and its significant impact on adult functioning. Major preventive efforts must be applied and made available to every child. The focus of these efforts must be child-centered and seen as a basic form of education

Coming of Age: Recognizing the Importance of Interdisciplinary Education in Law Practice

This Article proposes that lawyers need to be creative problem solvers if they are truly to serve the needs of their clients. The ability to collaborate with professionals from other disciplines is an important aspect of creative problem solving. The Article examines the skills required for creative problem solving and law students\u27 and attorneys\u27 facility with these skills.The Article further discusses the barriers to providing interdisciplinary training in law schools and suggests ways to incorporate such training

Not Quite Grown Up: The Difficulty of Applying an Adult Education Model to Legal Externs

Using andragogical theory developed by Malcolm Knowles as a foundation as well as a counterpoint, this article presents a new framework for teaching clinic students. Frustrated by tensions they encountered in teaching students whom they expected to have all the qualities of “adult learners,” the authors developed a new theory that blends humanistic as well as developmental theory. The article describes this new theory and evaluates why it works in clinical teaching

Interdisciplinary Problem Solving Courses as a Context for Nurturing Intrinsic Values

Intrinsic values and motivations are important foundations for career satisfaction and professionalism. The research of Lawrence Krieger and Kennon Sheldon highlights factors critical to the development of intrinsic values and motivations. Our aspiration was to create courses that could stimulate such development in our law students. This article discusses the foundation and goals for our courses, describes our courses, reviews our successes and failures, and poses questions for further study. Throughout our discussion we provide anecdotal data from comments by students and the professionals with whom they worked, indicating the degree to which students seem to be incorporating the goals we set forth. Finally, we provide suggestions for professors who may wish to implement aspects of these courses to further nurture students\u27 intrinsic values, self-confidence, and professionalism

Stuck in a Rut: The Role of Creative Thinking in Problem Solving and Legal Education

This article focuses on the mental process of creative thinking. We discuss what it is, why we have difficulty engaging in it, and how we can overcome this difficulty through specific techniques and a more conducive environment. Creative thinking is an essential component to problem solving. In training future lawyers, we must do a better job of incorporating and supporting creative thinking in legal education. We conclude the article with a description of some of our efforts toward this objective