A range of societal pressures and cultural forces have converged to create many challenges for the legal profession. In spring 2008, the Fetzer Institute made a three-year $1.6 million funding commitment to the University of Maryland School of Law to help it respond to these challenges and create a Leadership, Ethics and Democracy program ("LEAD").
Through this initiative, the School of Law seeks to help its students realize their leadership potential, develop good ethical and moral judgment and develop the cross-cultural competence they will need to practice law in today's global arena. Along the way, the students will discover how the law can be used to reinforce democracy and achieve justice.
The LEAD Initiative has three primary components:
-Lawyers as Leaders
-Ethics and Professionalism
-Community Development and Democracy Building
LEAD's Mission:
First, develop lawyers who are prepared to practice in the multi-cultural and diverse environment present in today’s global, regional and local legal arenas.
Second, create opportunities for law students and practicing lawyers to explore their personal values, the legal profession’s requirements and how one might practice law in a manner consistent with those values.
And, third, begin a movement across law schools and the legal profession to develop lawyer-leaders who understand the law’s transformative potential and seek solutions for their clients that satisfy their clients’ goals, improve community life and address issues requiring systemic change.