'Down with the Death Penalty!' - Using Hot Topics with a Twist to Introduce Persuasive Advocacy and Legal Ethics

Abstract

In this article, I discuss using "hot topics," like the death penalty, to introduce persuasive advocacy skills and legal ethics to my students. By requiring students to argue against their personal position on a "hot topic," they more readily identify arguments on both sides of the issue, which only enhances their advocacy skills. In conjunction with learning advocacy skills, we discuss some of the legal ethics involved with representing a client whose crime or legal issue they might find distasteful or unappealing.

Keywords: advocacy, advoacacy skills, persuasive, legal ethics, argument