Harvard announced that it's completely re-vamping its first year curriculum! It is taking the emphasis OFF casebooks, and trying to implement a look at creativity and problem solving, as is required in an international and global legal field.

Wow. Apparently, they decided that the old method, which is 130 years old, does not deserve its age, and it's time to make a change.

Since they're the ones who started the casebook method, a la Christopher Langdell, and that took such a firm hold in law schools across the nation --- will this, too? I can almost guarantee that my school will be one of the first to follow in Harvard's footsteps. Several professors have commented in class about the fact that they're mostly "stuck" with this method of teaching, due to peer pressure [i.e., other law schools], and have already tried to put other things into the mix: problem-solving exercises, group work, etc.

I can't wait to see how things change. And I'm kind of glad it's happening as I'm leaving.

I remember that I was taking the GRE in 1995, thinking I wanted to go to grad school for English, and to teach in high schools (b/c Schlurg convinced me I was too stupid to go to law school), and they were about to move over to the computer tests. I RUSHED to take that exam before the date where computerized test-taking was mandatory. I didn't want to do it the "new" way - I wanted my pencils, and my bubbles.

I think I'd feel the same way about law school if it was going through drastic changes around the time I was getting ready to freak out about the LSAT. I think I would have put it off indefinitely.

And I'd still be typing other people's letters, and listenign to NPR 6 hours a day, b/c work only kept me engaged for 2. (although that part was kind of nice .... although still very frustrating, and not THAT intellectually stimulating.)

It will be fun to watch from the other side, though.

posted by Zuska @ 9:10 AM

0 Comments: