St. Thomas Law Review
First Page
531
Document Type
Article
Abstract
In order to place this article in context, I will first describe Tennessee's practice rule for attorneys representing children as Guardians ad Litem. It is an example of the "Elephant," the many component parts of a child's life that the child's lawyer is required to bring together to represent the child holistically. In Part II, I will describe and apply three developing jurisprudential movements that embrace the techniques I utilize: interdisciplinary practice, creative problem-solving and Therapeutic Jurisprudence. In Part III, I will provide an overview of ecomaps and genograms as they are commonly used in the social sciences. In Part IV, I will introduce the hypothetical Rolle Family, whom I use to teach these integrating devices, and I will draw the Rolle Family ecomap and genogram. Part V will discuss the ways in which my law students have used these devices in the clinical setting. They have expanded my views about the efficacy of these devices, and, as a result of adopting them, they have enriched their practice before the juvenile court. I will conclude with the opportunities offered by these devices to expand the repertoire of the interdisciplinary, problem-solving and Therapeutic Jurisprudence movements in legal education through the introduction of concrete analytical tools, to the ultimate edification of law students, as well as their future clients.
Recommended Citation
Christina A. Zawisza,
Taking Hold of the Elephant in Child Dependency and Neglect Cases,
17
St. Thomas L. Rev.
531
(2005).
Available at:
https://scholarship.stu.edu/stlr/vol17/iss3/8