Curricular Stress

Abstract:     
Part of a symposium sponsored by the new AALS Section on Balance in Legal Education this essay argues that some of the extraordinary stress that law students experience is based on the outdated nature of the traditional law school curriculum. Part of this stress is ideological, because the traditional curriculum strongly favors use of the law to preserve the status quo rather than to achieve social change and social justice. Another part is pedagogic, resulting from the fact that the teaching method used in most law school classes is outdated, and places too much emphasis on immersion as opposed to contextualization. A final source of stress is ethical, because the traditional curriculum denies students any space in which they can discuss any ambivalence they may feel about the lawyer’s role.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 11

Keywords: Legal Education, Curriculum, Law Students, Balance

Accepted Paper Series