Technique With Ideals: An Essay on Professional Identity and Cause Lawyering

The accreditation standards of the American Bar Association Section on Legal Education and Admission require every school to “provide substantial opportunities to students for . . . the development of a professional identity.” The standards include Interpretation 303-5, which provides guidance about what professional identity means for lawyers and how law schools should seek to shape the professional identities of their students: “Professional identity focuses on what it means to be a lawyer and the special obligations lawyers have to their clients and society. The development of professional identity should involve an intentional exploration of the values, guiding principles, and well-being practices considered foundational to successful legal practice.”