Reflections for Developing Your Professional Identity
A forthcoming article written by E. Scott Fruehwald looks at how future lawyers can develop their professional identities. Professional identity is something separate from ethics (the rules of professional conduct) or professionalism (acting in a professional manner through behavior such as politeness and thoroughness). According to Fruehwald, professional identity is “a lawyer’s personal legal morality, values, decision-making process, and self-consciousness in relation to the practices of the legal profession.”
In practical terms, the author suggests that law students can actively develop their professional identities by becoming engaged thinkers, being aware of their emotions, finding intrinsic motivation, and reflecting on metacognitive questions.
In reality, reflecting on metacognitive questions is not as lofty as it seems (although it can take a lot of introspection). Examples of metacognitive questions that Fruehwald suggests will help you develop your professional identity include:
- What would you do if you knew your child had an alcohol problem?
- How would you react if a half-way house serving recently-released felons was to be constructed in your neighborhood?
- Do you believe lawyers have an ethical duty to perform pro bono work?
- How do you deliver the news to your client who has just lost custody of her child?
These and similar questions can help you recognize and develop your own moral compass, a key part to your professional identity.
See E. Scott Fruehwald, Developing Law Student’s Professional Identities, University of La Verne Law School (Forthcoming 2015) [Full text on SSRN].
