The UC-Irvine Experiment: Will it Be Effective at Teaching Contract Law?

13 Pages Posted: 19 Sep 2011 Last revised: 29 Jan 2016

See all articles by Gregory S. Crespi

Gregory S. Crespi

Southern Methodist University - Dedman School of Law

Date Written: September 19, 2011

Abstract

The new law school at the University of California, Irvine is attempting to implement an innovative vision of top-tier legal education that focuses upon preparing students for the practice of law, and which emphasizes skills-based and experiential training. As part of that effort the school has restructured the traditional first-year law school curriculum so that several of the courses each focus on particular analytical methods, specifically common law analysis, statutory analysis, procedural analysis, constitutional analysis, and international legal analysis, rather than on a particular subject matter such as contracts, torts, etc. While there are some advantages to this new approach, I discuss in this brief article my concerns regarding whether this approach will be as effective in teaching first-year students basic contract law as would be a more traditional approach that attempts to simultaneously expose students to both the common law and statutory aspects of the subject in a more integrated and holistic fashion.

Suggested Citation

Crespi, Gregory S., The UC-Irvine Experiment: Will it Be Effective at Teaching Contract Law? (September 19, 2011). SMU Dedman School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 229, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1930340 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1930340

Gregory S. Crespi (Contact Author)

Southern Methodist University - Dedman School of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 750116
Dallas, TX 75275
United States

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