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Legal Education

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University of Massachusetts School of Law

Education

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Full-Text Articles in Law

Anthrogogy: Towards Inclusive Law School Learning, Rebecca C. Flanagan Jan 2019

Anthrogogy: Towards Inclusive Law School Learning, Rebecca C. Flanagan

Faculty Publications

At the time it was introduced, andragogy did offer benefits over “chalk and talk;” where most law students passively took notes while one student at a time actively engaged with their professor in a Socratic dialogue. While andragogy has sustained several modifications and revisions over the last fifty years, it does not reflect the life stage or life experiences that blur the boundaries of childhood and adulthood for over half the current student body in most law schools. Andragogy, designed as a teaching methodology for traditional adults seeking continuing education or to gain credentials for upward mobility in their current …


Trends And Issues In Terrorism And The Law: Foreword, Thomas J. Cleary Mar 2015

Trends And Issues In Terrorism And The Law: Foreword, Thomas J. Cleary

University of Massachusetts Law Review

The introduction to the issue discusses the history of UMass Law Review and its contribution to legal scholarship.


Function, Form, And Strawberries: Subverting Langdell, Jeremiah A. Ho Jan 2015

Function, Form, And Strawberries: Subverting Langdell, Jeremiah A. Ho

Faculty Publications

Beyond this Part I Introduction, Part II will briefly summarize why the Langdell tradition is at heart a learning model that intrinsically marginalizes active learning and exalts only a limited experience of skills teaching and acquisition and will conclude that the Langdellian tradition creates a hierarchy that juxtaposes knowledge of legal doctrine over skills. Part III will demonstrate a method for law teachers to incorporate skills teaching actively in the classroom, and do so in a way that legitimizes legal reasoning skills and elevates the teaching and learning of skills. Hopefully, as the Conclusion points out, the new normative in …


Do Med Schools Do It Better?: Improving Law School Admissions By Adopting A Medical School Admissions Model, Rebecca C. Flanagan Jan 2015

Do Med Schools Do It Better?: Improving Law School Admissions By Adopting A Medical School Admissions Model, Rebecca C. Flanagan

Faculty Publications

The differences between legal education and medical education start before students enter their post- graduate professions programs: the differences in the preparation begin during a period of undergraduate years. This article briefly compares pre-law and pre-medical undergraduate preparations, and discusses how the differences in preparation shape preparedness in professional school. Taking cues from the successes in pre-med preparation, this article provides recommendations for improving the law school admissions model by adopting more rigorous pre-law preparation standards. The recommendations in this articles are necessary prerequisite for law schools looking to produce the “practice ready” graduates that the public demands.


Testing, Diversity, And Merit: A Reply To Dan Subotnik And Others, Andrea A. Curcio, Carol L. Chomsky, Eileen Kaufman Dec 2014

Testing, Diversity, And Merit: A Reply To Dan Subotnik And Others, Andrea A. Curcio, Carol L. Chomsky, Eileen Kaufman

University of Massachusetts Law Review

The false dichotomy between achieving diversity and rewarding merit frequently surfaces in discussions about decisions on university and law school admissions, scholarships, law licenses, jobs, and promotions. “Merit” judgments are often based on the results of standardized tests meant to predict who has the best chance to succeed if given the opportunity to do so. This Article criticizes over-reliance on standardized tests and responds to suggestions that challenging the use of such tests reflects a race-comes-first approach that chooses diversity over merit. Discussing the firefighter exam the led to the Supreme Court decision in Ricci v. DiStefano, as well …


The Kids Aren’T Alright: Rethinking The Law Student Skills Deficit, Rebecca Flanagan Jan 2014

The Kids Aren’T Alright: Rethinking The Law Student Skills Deficit, Rebecca Flanagan

Faculty Publications

This article examines empirical research on the changes in undergraduate education since the 1960’s and discusses the challenges facing law schools admitting underprepared students.


Clinical Legal Education & Access To Justice: Conflicts, Interests, & Evolution, Margaret B. Drew, Andrew P. Morriss Jan 2013

Clinical Legal Education & Access To Justice: Conflicts, Interests, & Evolution, Margaret B. Drew, Andrew P. Morriss

Faculty Publications

The explosive growth in the number of law school clinics over the last 50 years began with an individual client focus as a core component. This contributed to reducing unmet legal needs in substantive areas such as landlord-tenant, family, consumer and other areas. These service clinics accomplished the dual purpose of training students in the day-to-day challenges of practice while reducing the number of unrepresented poor. In recent years, however, the trend has been to broaden the law school clinical experience beyond individual representation and preparation for law firm practice. So-called “impact” clinics typically address systemic change without significant individual …


I'D Just As Soon Flunk You As Look At You?: The Evolution To Humanizing In A Large Classroom, Justine A. Dunlap Jan 2008

I'D Just As Soon Flunk You As Look At You?: The Evolution To Humanizing In A Large Classroom, Justine A. Dunlap

Faculty Publications

Initially, this article sets forth my own progress in becoming a teacher who incorporates humanizing principles. Next, the article analyzes some of the theory behind the humanizing legal education principles. The article will then present some specific teaching techniques for those interested in adding a humanizing dimension to their teaching, focusing primarily on the large classroom setting. The article will also note the barriers to adopting humanizing techniques, as well as possible ways to overcome those barriers.