Instructional Innovation Seed Grant Award - $2,500
M. Teresa Schmiedeler, JD (Carey School of Law)
Yes…Improv Workshop for Building Active Listening Skills, Trust Factors & Resilience
This project will host an in- person Improv Workshop for public interest law externs on how to build effective communication and professional legal skills such as active listening, building trust with clients, and clear communication with opposing counsel and judiciary. This workshop will provide public interest law externs with knowledge and skills to carry forward in both law school experiential learning settings and in the practice of law. Goal for the workshop includes the following: to cultivate resilience to sharpen one’s ability to communicate effectively, ways to remain flexible and adapt to change and challenges. The in-person intensive workshop will be facilitated by experienced improv performers from Baltimore Improv Group in partnership with M. Teresa Schmiedeler, in her role as faculty advisor for the public interest externs. The two hour workshop training will provide examples of how to craft improv exercises and techniques to enhance written and non-verbal communication skills, to instill trustworthiness including the key improvisational skills of “resist blocking” and the practice “Yes..and.” Public interest externs will learn how improv might be effectively weaved into their educational experience as
future public service attorneys.