Happily Ever After: Providing Students with Epilogues for Cautionary Tales

Abstract

Stories of lawyers’ professional missteps are legion: misplaced commas causing millions in client losses, late court filings triggering malpractice claims, and incomprehensible briefs meriting sanctions are just a few. Such cautionary tales present useful teachable moments for law students. Yet, because cautionary tales appeal to fear as a persuasive device, law professors may be wise to use them carefully. Although some fear is productive and can motivate students to achieve, too much fear can be debilitating. This is particularly so among law students -- a population well known to suffer from heightened anxiety and depression. This essay suggests one way that law professors can mitigate the anxiety caused by cautionary tales.