Introduction to American Association of Law Schools Symposium: Bringing Values and Perspectives Back into the Law School Classroom: Practical Ideas for Teachers

Abstract

The following papers were given in 1994 at a panel sponsored by the Teaching Methods Section at the annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The papers are loosely organized around two particular claims. The first claim is that law school has a substantial socializing effect on the students who attend. The second claim is that it is desirable for law school teachers to adopt practical strategies for countering this effect and for challenging prevailing law school values. Both of these claims are controversial. For example, there are some who suggest that law school is (and should be) a kind of glorified trade school. They argue that law schools provide a neutral set of skills that are independent of any ideological orientation and useful for a wide range of political objectives. Similarly, there are some who are distrustful of any attempt to influence-or as they might put it "brainwash"-students with respect to personal or political values. While the contributors to this symposium have a wide range of teaching styles and objectives, they are united in opposing the neutral skills model and in their commitment to the practical aspects of "teaching values."