{"id":6398,"date":"2009-08-01T11:20:54","date_gmt":"2009-08-01T16:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/?p=6398"},"modified":"2009-08-01T11:20:54","modified_gmt":"2009-08-01T16:20:54","slug":"what%e2%80%99s-your-archetype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/2009\/08\/what%e2%80%99s-your-archetype\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Your Archetype?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Saint_george_raphael\"This past year I came across a terrific article by Professor Ruth Anne Robbins on using archetypes to develop a client\u2019s story.\u00a0 (Harry Potter, Ruby Slippers and Merlin:\u00a0Telling the Client\u2019s Story Using the Characters and Paradigm of the Archetypal Hero\u2019s Journey<\/em>, 29 Seattle U. L. Rev. 767 (2006)).\u00a0 An archetype is an innate prototype, or epitome, of a personality.\u00a0 The Swiss psychologist Carl Jung advanced the theory that some personality types or characteristics are universally recognized.\u00a0 The American mythologist Joseph Campbell was influenced by Carl Jung\u2019s work on archetypes and considered how archetypes manifest in mythology.\u00a0 Professor Robbins examines how Jung\u2019s and Campbell\u2019s theories can be used in a practical litigation and courtroom setting.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In her article, Professor Robbins suggests that archetypes, as universally recognized symbols, can be used to create a compelling image of a client.\u00a0 As Professor Robbins states, \u201cBecause people respond \u2014 instinctively and intuitively \u2014 to certain recurring story patterns and character archetypes, lawyers should systematically and deliberately integrate into their storytelling the larger picture of their clients\u2019 goals by subtly portraying their individual clients as heroes on a particular life path.\u201d\u00a0 (768-69.)\u00a0 The key to using archetypes is to tap into a judge or jury\u2019s unconscious to align the client\u2019s story with a hero\u2019s transformative journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How do you put your client on the path of a hero\u2019s journey?\u00a0 <\/p>\n

The first step is to assign a \u201ccast of characters,\u201d and the most important roles are that of the judge (or jury) and the client.\u00a0 (775.)\u00a0 Through the story you tell of your client, the client will transform him or herself into a hero.\u00a0 The benefit of telling a client\u2019s story as a hero\u2019s journey is that heroes, like real life clients, have flaws.\u00a0 Heroes are not perfect; in fact, what makes the story compelling is that the hero must work through or conquer those flaws.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The article lists and describes twelve different hero archetypes from which to choose, such as a \u201ccaregiver\u201d (caring for a family against all odds), or an \u201cevery person\/orphan\u201d (searching for an identity).\u00a0 (778.)\u00a0 Professor Robbins recommends casting a judge as the hero\u2019s mentor.\u00a0 In archetypal stories, a hero like Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins needs a mentor like Dumbledore or Gandalf.\u00a0 The article also explains how to cast other characters or identity traits such as the villain (not necessarily the opposing party, Professor Robbins notes) and the guardian.<\/p>\n

Besides casting the characters, a lawyer needs to understand the stages of an archetypal hero\u2019s journey:\u00a0 the departure, the initiation, and the return.\u00a0 The departure is the start of the quest with a \u201croad of trials.\u201d\u00a0 (792-93.)\u00a0 Departure reminds me of Frodo Baggins\u2019 trek to the town of Bree, where he first encounters a Ringwraith.\u00a0 During the initiation, a hero learns lessons to help him or her \u201cto reach the ultimate goal.\u201d\u00a0 (795.)\u00a0 During this phase, the hero faces his or her fears and finally slays the proverbial \u201cdragon.\u201d\u00a0 Those hearing the story of initiation are reminded of their own mortality in the hero\u2019s \u201critual injury or dismemberment.\u201d\u00a0 (796.)\u00a0 In the return, the hero is transformed and \u201cachieves bliss\u201d \u2014 \u201cthe hero has conquered the fears that previously hindered him or her from growth as an individual.\u201d\u00a0 (800.)<\/p>\n

The hero\u2019s journey can work very well with the traditional concept of building a theory of the case.\u00a0 The theory of a case melds narrative\/storytelling with the law to create a cohesive case presentation.\u00a0 The hero\u2019s journey strengthens the narrative component of a case.\u00a0 Has anyone tried to use a hero\u2019s journey in developing a case?\u00a0 What storytelling techniques do you use?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This past year I came across a terrific article by Professor Ruth Anne Robbins on using archetypes to develop a client\u2019s story.\u00a0 (Harry Potter, Ruby Slippers and Merlin:\u00a0Telling the Client\u2019s Story Using the Characters and Paradigm of the Archetypal Hero\u2019s Journey, 29 Seattle U. L. Rev. 767 (2006)).\u00a0 An archetype is an innate prototype, or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,35,42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal-practice","category-legal-scholarship","category-legal-writing","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6398"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6398\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}