Myrna McCullough reveals why law schools are missing a critical competency: trauma-informed lawyering.
This episode is a solo reflection by host Myrna McCullough, a Métis Cree lawyer and advocate for trauma-informed legal practice. She marks the podcast's one-year anniversary and discusses its unexpected growth. McCullough explains that the podcast was initially a pandemic passion project intended to answer common questions from colleagues.
The episode centers on the core philosophy that lawyers must engage in self-reflection to avoid causing further harm to clients. McCullough argues that law schools and bar courses critically lack training in trauma-informed lawyering as a required competency. She states this approach challenges personal behaviors, beliefs, and biases to transform advocacy methods. The podcast itself is presented as an educational starting point for this missing curriculum. McCullough reveals the podcast has been downloaded nearly 30,000 times since its launch on May 22 of the previous year. Its primary audience is in Canada, where it is most popular.
A key insight is that the project has grown into something "greater than me," surpassing McCullough's initial expectations. She expresses feeling honored and humbled by the community of guests with profound perspectives who have contributed. The episode frames trauma-informed lawyering as a commitment to continuous learning of both new and old knowledge. McCullough emphasizes that this practice guides lawyers to remain open to information they didn't know they needed at the start of their careers.
The tone is personal, reflective, and conversational, directly addressing the listener. The style is educational and advocacy-oriented, promoting a specific paradigm shift within the legal profession. This episode would deeply interest law students, legal practitioners, and anyone in the justice sector curious about trauma-informed approaches. Listeners seeking a guest interview or case-specific legal analysis might find this introspective monologue less engaging.
