Character and Fitness for Leadership – Educating Lawyers for Compassion and Courage as well as Brains -- The Wizard of Oz was Right

14 Tennessee J. Law and Policy 287 (Winter 2020)

56 Pages Posted: 1 Dec 2020

Date Written: 2020

Abstract

In the movie The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy has three companions on quests of their own: the Scarecrow seeking a brain, the Tin Man seeking a heart, and the Lion seeking courage. Much of the law school curriculum is designed for the law student as Scarecrow – to develop the student’s capacity for critical thinking. The curriculum, however, has not given as much attention to the Tin Man or the Lion among law students. This article examines ways of educating law students to enhance their strength of compassion not only for their clients but also their adversaries, as well the students’ strength of courage to make that compassion effective, including standing up for their clients in the interests of justice when it might not be popular to do so.

Suggested Citation

Baker, R. Lisle, Character and Fitness for Leadership – Educating Lawyers for Compassion and Courage as well as Brains -- The Wizard of Oz was Right (2020). 14 Tennessee J. Law and Policy 287 (Winter 2020), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3726313

R. Lisle Baker (Contact Author)

Suffolk University Law School ( email )

120 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02108-4977
United States

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