Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2022
Publication
Saint Louis University Law Journal
Volume
67
Abbreviation
St. Louis U. L.J.
First Page
1
Abstract
Following the ABA’s mandate requiring law schools provide students with opportunities for “professional identity formation,” this article seeks to clarify and loosely taxonomize the field of professional identity formation as it is being advanced by scholars and employed in U.S. law schools. By organizing this varied and somewhat muddled field into three dominant types or approaches and examining the primary and sometimes hidden goals of each, this article raises for review the potential pitfalls in this project, including the possibility of coercion, impotence, or waste. Ultimately, this article aims to pave the way for more constructive, transparent, and fruitful dialogue and debate as law schools strategically plan how best to engage in the professional identity formation of future lawyers.