Susan R. Jones on “Rebellious Lawyering” and Community Economic Development:

“A seminal concept in the legal literature about lawyering for subordinated individuals and groups is the notion of rebellious lawyering. Rebellious lawyering (also known as critical lawyering) seeks to empower subordinated clients and questions whether legal intervention is good for the client’s material existence.  Rebellious lawyering is juxtaposed to regnant (or traditional) lawyering. Regnant lawyering reflects the traditional paradigm of the preeminent problem solver, formally representing others primarily in a litigation setting.”

Excerpted from Susan R. Jones, SMALL BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: TRANSACTIONAL LAWYERING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE, 4 Clinical L. Rev. 195 (1997).

Susan R. Jones is Clinical Law Professor at George Washington University School of Law.

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