Deakin Law Clinic general clinic students recently spent a morning with Robert Benjamin AM and Michelle Benjamin LLB(Hons) workshopping the necessity of taking a trauma informed approach to legal practice.

It was explained that a trauma informed approach recognizes that trauma is a common experience and promotes care, safety, empathy, respect and a person-centered approach. Trauma informed practice considers what has “happened” rather than what is “wrong” with a person.

Robert, a former Family Cout judge and Commissioner on the Tasmanian Royal Commission into Institutional Abuse, stressed the need to not only be informed of the impact of trauma on others but also to be aware of the vicarious trauma the students may experience in practice when dealing with challenging situations. He spoke about his own experiences and enforced the need to engage in regular reflective practice and debriefing with colleagues.

Michelle took the students through how the body and mind processes trauma and its long term impact. Michelle, who has extensive experience as an educator, demonstrated a trauma informed approach throughout the workshop, engaging the students with simple exercises during “brain breaks” to enable them to recenter themselves during the discussions.

Understanding trauma informed practice is imperative to the education of young lawyers as they commence on their legal careers. At Deakin Law Clinic we are pleased to have the support of presenters such as Robert and Michelle who work with us for the benefit of the students and their future.