Building a Holistic Legal Practice: Social Worker and Attorney Partnerships

Why You Should Attend

As the benefits of a holistic approach to legal practice become increasingly recognized, more and more legal organizations are adopting multi-disciplinary models that pair attorneys with social workers in an effort to provide comprehensive support for youth and adult clients alike. From applying a trauma-informed lens to identifying and addressing critical client needs beyond the courtroom, the expertise of a social worker can transform both a case and a client’s experience within the legal system.

But in creating and maintaining these partnerships within an organization, where lie the boundaries of both roles and how exactly do ethical considerations, differing professional opinions, and mandated reporting requirements come into play? What does social worker recruitment look like and how would you go about integrating client and pro bono volunteer work into this new dynamic?

Join our panel in this 1-hour studio as they break down the benefits, priorities, and nuts and bolts of maintaining an effective and holistic social worker/attorney partnership.

What You Will Learn

After completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Identify the significant benefits to case, client, and legal organization of a social worker/attorney partnership
• Define the professional boundaries of both roles and navigate some common challenges of a social worker/attorney partnership in a legal practice
• Apply best practices for recruitment and integration of a multi-disciplinary practice model

Who Should Attend

Attorneys, pro bono volunteers, and law students working with nonprofit and public interest organizations would benefit from attending. The program will be particularly helpful for attorneys practicing in Family law, Probate Guardianship law, Dependency law, Domestic Violence law, and child representation.

Program Level: Overview

Prerequisites: An interest in learning more about the benefits of a holistic approach to legal practice.

Advanced Preparation: None

PLI’s Studio Briefings are on-demand video CLE programs that feature an intimate and engaging round table discussion format with legal and industry experts addressing a range of topics. Visit our landing page for our library of PLI Studio Briefings.