Beyond Best Practices: Lessons from Tina Stark About the First Day of Class

Abstract

This Article reviews and expands the literature on best practices in a narrow subset -- the first day of class. As the same time it seeks to convey words of wisdom from one of the most well-known and highly-regarded legal educators: Tina Stark, a giant in transactional drafting. The first day of any law school class can be fraught with tension and nerves, even for professors. This article presents advice from Professor Stark, supplemented with guidance from best practices research, so that professors can take advantage of the opportunities that the first day of class offers to set the tone for a successful semester.

Keywords: pedagogy, tina stark, first day