Professional Responsibility, Leadership, and Lawyering Success

2 Credit Hours

Research shows that being a great lawyer and being seen as having that potential encompasses more than rote knowledge, technical skills, and intelligence (in an IQ sense). Being a successful lawyer necessitates engaging in a wider range of skills, including but not limited to the ability to manage relationships with others, to build leadership skills, to know one's limits and standards, to manage one's emotions, to navigate complex and challenging work situations, and, ultimately, to be in the best position to succeed in an ever-changing job market and through changing career paths. This course will start with the meaning of professional responsibility, then turn to the concept of Emotional Intelligence and its value both to professional responsibility in general and within various basic aspects of the practice of law such as interviewing, counseling, conflict management, negotiations, and problem solving. Students will have the opportunity to complete an emotional intelligence assessment and use their tailored results to develop sound leadership skill. Through discussion of legal and other research, simulations, and reflection, this course will show students how to build individual professional capability to self-assess skills and abilities, to increase awareness of strengths and weaknesses, and to build and reinforce professional responsibility skills necessary to advance careers and success. Registration Requirements: No pre-requisites Evaluation Methods: Reflective Papers: 20% Capstone Reflective Paper: 60% Class Attendance: 20% Class Materials: 1. Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ 2. Douglas Linder & Nancy Levit, The Good Lawyer 3. Completing the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) 4. Other course readings will be available online. Please note this class will meet on the following dates and times: December 17, 2016: 9am-4pm December 19, 2016: 9am-4pm December 20, 2016: 9am-4pm January 7, 2017: 9am-4pm The last day to drop this course is 12/16/2016.