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Articles

The case for implementing legal clinical supervision within legal practice, and recommendations for best practice

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ABSTRACT

While the concept of clinical supervision is well-developed within clinical legal education, its application within broader legal practice is less explored. This paper aims to contribute to this emerging conversation by providing recommendations for the effective incorporation of clinical supervision within legal practice. The paper provides an initial overview of the current state of research on clinical supervision in legal practice, subsequently outlining the benefits and key considerations for its implementation. The paper argues that clinical supervision can yield a multitude of benefits, including the reduction of burnout, minimisation of vicarious trauma, and enhancement of the quality of legal practice by fostering emotional and interpersonal skills. The paper further discusses the importance of self-reflection, debriefing, and supervision that facilitates self-care in the context of clinical supervision. The potential benefits of this approach extend to all members of the profession, from new lawyers to seasoned practitioners, and could lead to improved professionalism, reduced attrition, and enhanced wellbeing within the legal profession.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

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Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Legal Aid New South Wales.

Notes on contributors

Meribah Rose

Dr Meribah Rose is a sociolegal scholar with an interest in representations of crime and violence and more broadly the conceptualisation of justice. Her current research focuses on miscarriages of justice and their redress, including the procedural facilitators and roadblocks of uncovering wrongful convictions. She has a PhD in cultural studies from the University of Melbourne, with her doctoral research focused on questions of ethics and justice in the films of Pedro Almodóvar. As an interdisciplinary scholar, her research draws from and contributes to the fields of critical legal studies, law and humanities and cultural criminology.

Chris Maylea

Associate Professor Chris Maylea is a social worker, lawyer, and Associate Professor of law at La Trobe University. He has practice experience in mental health services as a social worker and manager, provides advice to government and policy reform bodies. Associate Professor Maylea's work sits at the intersections of health, welfare and the law, and is underpinned by human rights and social justice. He is the author of over 70 peer-reviewed publications and commissioned reports, and is the author of 'Social work and the Law: a guide for ethical practice'.

He has conducted evaluations of health and advocacy services, empirical research on interdisciplinary practice advance statements, gender-based violence in mental health inpatient units, child protection, elder abuse, and doctrinal and human rights analyses. His work uses codesign approaches, with a focus on promoting the voice of people who use health and welfare services.

Associate Professor Maylea has extensive experience before the Victorian Mental Health Tribunal as a legal representative. He previously managed and evaluated mainstream Aboriginal and child and family community mental health services, rehabilitation units and assertive outreach and support services in regional areas. He has served as Chair and Deputy Chair of the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC).