It Happened to Me: Sharing Personal Value Dilemmas to Teach Ethics

Abstract

This article builds on prior scholarship which recognizes the value of storytelling in teaching legal ethics. The thesis is that sharing personal value dilemmas is an even more effective way to teach legal ethics, coining the term value dilemma to describe the myriad dilemmas that lawyers face during all stages of their careers. The article details the steps required to create and present effective value dilemmas in a Lawyering Skills class.

Keywords: Law teaching, legal writing, legal ethics, lawyering skills

JEL Classification: A20, K00