The Power of Vulnerability in Promoting a Sense of Belonging: The Perspective of a First-Generation American

It is my intention that students teach each other through really getting to know one another and finding commonality in each other’s experiences. Most of us live in a social bubble, partially because we feel vulnerable in worlds where we perceive that we do not belong. By sharing vulnerabilities, we are able to expand our world to not only understand our commonalities, but to get a new view of what we thought was inalterable. By sharing my own experience as an out-sider, I am better able to encourage students to consider more deeply the opinions of others and to learn from those opinions. Furthermore, as practicing lawyers, these students will need to apply their thinking and listening skills to their future clients. Try as we might, three years of law school does not include every single facet of the law. Understanding that multiple perspectives exist will improve all aspects of writing and, as an added benefit, increase empathy making the legal world a more inclusive place.