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: BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog

Law schools make curriculum practical

This just in... critics are pointing the finger at our nation's law schools, where students learn how to think and speak law but not actually practice it. USA Today reports:

Medical students learn the ropes on real patients during hospital rounds. Student journalists practice by writing stories. But if learning-by-doing seems an obvious way to master a profession, one corner of higher education has largely avoided it: law schools.

Apparently employers are saying that law school graduates are lacking real job skills, and thus need on the job training. The response? Prominent law schools law Harvard and Stanford are trying to shake things up with new teaching methods. Moreover, a small Virginia school, Washington & Lee University, plans even more fundamental changes. USA Today says this about their program:

The school is announcing plans to have students spend their final year ? a time for breezy classes and little hard work at many schools ? in "practicum" courses, where they will imitate real-world lawyering every step of the way.

It works like this: Typically, in a business law class, for example, students work through a hefty book where they study a range of cases. Students might follow the full range of legal problems that would typically come before a single company ? antitrust, real estate, consumer protection and international law. The classes would still largely be taught on campus, perhaps by a professor along with a visiting practicing attorney.

BoardBuzz wonders how these changes will reflect the practice of law, not to mention employer hiring practices. It seems likely that students with real-world lawyering experience would have the advantage when it comes time to enter the workforce. You may be wondering just what this all has to do with the K-12 community. Well, it turns out that public schools are collectively our nation's largest employer. What's more, the field of "School Law" is a new and exciting one. Our friends in the Council of School Attorneys have this to say:

Most public school districts are multi-million dollar entities. The school attorney (whether in private practice or as an employee of the district) acts as corporate counsel, and advises the school board and the school administration on contract and general business affairs, human resource and collective bargaining issues, state and federal constitutional provisions, state and federal statutory issues, and case law that may impose liability on the school district. School attorneys represent kindergarten through 12th grade elementary, middle, or secondary level public schools, but some also advise community colleges and universities.

On any given day, the school attorney might find himself/herself advising a public school board client about separation of church and state issues such as the constitutionality of teaching ?intelligent design? and/or evolution; investigating an allegation of sexual harassment of a student by a school staff member; meeting with a committee of school personnel and parents about the educational programming of a student with a disability; arguing a case about student dress codes in federal court; or researching and drafting a school board policy on state open meetings laws. School attorneys have the opportunity to be involved in some of the most significant legal issues of our time. Brown v. Board of Education, anyone?

The Council of School Attorneys has even developed a brochure, Is a career in School Law right for you?, which discusses the facets of School Law, provides free resources for law students investigating careers in school law, and lists some of the many career opportunities available in the field. Be sure to check out their School Law Careers and School Law Jobs pages as well.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on March 11, 2008 (boomark / email).