Journal Title
Saint Louis University Law Journal
Volume
69
Issue
3
First Page
619
Document Type
Article
Publication Information
2025
Abstract
Working with clients at risk of or experiencing, homelessness teaches personal and professional humility like few other experiences in law school or the practice of law. Yet such sensitive work also provides an opportunity for law students to develop both a keener understanding of their own professional identity-with its capacities and limitations and critical counseling skills. This essay draws upon experiences gained in three distinct law school projects that work with clients at risk of or experiencing, homelessness.
After providing a brief overview of each project, the essay will explore methods used for training and supervising students during their counseling sessions, as well as techniques used for facilitating feedback and debriefing with students. The essay concludes by encouraging other instructors to include counseling housing-insecure clients into their courses, whether they teach a doctrinal or experiential class, given the benefits that accrue to students and clients alike.
Recommended Citation
Gregory M. Zlotnick, Teaching Client Counseling in the Shadow of Homelessness, 69 St. Louis U. L.J. 619 (2025).
Included in
Family Law Commons, Housing Law Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons, Property Law and Real Estate Commons, Public Interest Commons