The Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Externship Programme, Supervision and Report Writing workshop was held on the 25th and 26th of June, 2016, in the Mandalay Rule of Law Centre. It was conducted by Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) . The workshop, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Development Law Organization (IDLO), Avocates San Frontieres (ASF) and BABSEACLE’s Myanmar CLE Consortium Partners, DLA Piper/New Perimeter and Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), introduced CLE programmes and CLE Externship Programmes, explained how to supervise an externship programme and write reports, and practiced several interactive methodologies, such as small group discussion, presentation with drawing, session plans and problem solving activities. There were 38 participants including law teachers and law students from Mandalay University, Yadanarbon University and Mandalay University of Distance Education, and individual lawyers and Mandalay Centre staff.
After attending the workshop, participants were able to achieve the goals and expectations of the CLE Externship Programme, understand the importance of supervision and strategies for overcoming any challenges, and learn the basics of how to write a report, how to do CLE Externship supervision and how important good supervision is. They also learned different types of Cle Externship reports, the importance of report writing and how to conduct Externship programme activities, from task planning to the execution of the final stages. Different CLE actors have to know what their responsibilities are before, during and after each CLE Externship, to understand the possible challenges and difficulties and how to solve problems.
Through CLE Externship Programmes students get the opportunity to accompany senior lawyers, to gain court experience, to manage cases, to talk with clients and to learn how to do legal research and writing. These skills are acquired by practicing in the legal field, not in the classroom, and have real application to their futures. Importantly, hosts and law teachers see that they play an important role in the process of supporting students to become qualified lawyers.
By Zin Mar Aung, Office Assistant, Mandalay Rule of Law Centre
