Bliss Named Director of Experiential Education
Lisa Radtke Bliss, associate clinical professor and co-director of the Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Legal Services Clinic, has been named the College of Law's first director of experiential education.
"The College of Law has reached the point of needing a director of experiential education," says Steven J. Kaminshine, dean and professor of law. "Lisa will serve a leadership role in this growing area, including coordinating and being a resource for our many experiential learning programs and initiatives, including our clinics, externship program, and faculty efforts to create experiential courses or integrate experiential features into existing ones."
Georgia State Law offers distinctive experiential opportunities for students in a range of courses, beginning in the first year. Until now, those programs have operated in silos, Bliss says.
"I look forward to working with my colleagues to coordinate, strengthen and expand clinical and other experiential learning opportunities for students across the curriculum," Bliss says. "I hope to facilitate the sharing of ideas for experiential learning in clinics, externships, practicums, simulation courses and other models, and examining how these different avenues for learning fit into a coherent program of legal instruction for students."
The new building provides the perfect opportunity for Georgia State Law to reimagine its experiential programming, both Kaminshine and Bliss say. Improved classroom space and a state-of-the-art clinic suite will enhance the ability of faculty to explore new collaborations and teaching innovations.
"At the same time, it is important to maximize resources," Bliss says. "Through my work in the HeLP Clinic, I have come to recognize the critical role that law school partnerships with the bar and other institutions can play in providing meaningful learning opportunities to prepare students for their lives as professionals."
Georgia State Law has a history of engagement with the bench and bar in numerous ways, and there is great potential for partnerships that include experiential learning components, Bliss says.
Bliss will continue as co-director of the HeLP Clinic, as well as teaching her clinic course and Interviewing and Counseling course.
"The creation of this position speaks to the incredible growth of Georgia State Law's clinical and experiential programming in its relatively short history," Bliss says. " I am honored to help write the next chapter."