Law Schools “Imposing Their Own Morality,” Says Prof

Law schools’ increasing emphasis on pro-bono or public sector work is a form of “imposing their own morality upon students,” DePaul University clinical law professor Julie D. Lawton said in the Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality. “Law schools, through their financial support of public interest students and programs, clinical programs, and mandatory pro bono requirements, attempt to inculcate law students with a responsibility of social justice that reflects the morality of the faculty and administration,” Lawton wrote. “Legal educators should resist pushing students into a particular practice area based on the educators’ moralities. Each new lawyer has the right to choose their own substantive area, free from the moral judgments of others, particularly their educators.” Lawton also points out an inherent hypocrisy: while many students are required to meet pro bono hours, faculty and administration are not.