Explores the purpose of law school and its impact on students' perceptions of professional norms. Reviews reasons for student dissatisfaction with law school and examines the current pedagogical and curricular practices. Offers suggestions to improve the relevance of legal education to the real world lawyers will encounter. (SLD)

It is proposed that a few "destinct and lively pictures" be included in teaching materials in order to stimulate study of constitutional law instruction. A picture is seen as a door to ideas. (MLW)

A way is described to expose first-year law students to a whole case and thus to blend in appellate decisions, statutes, and scholarly articles as they might be discovered and used by the parties and the court. (MLW)

The Land Development Law course at George Washington University is an approach to teach the basic concepts of land management and control through a "game" simulation. Instead of studying the law, students actively participate in a simulated real-life environment where they can practice and develop their legal skills. (MLW)

Role playing in first-year legal education can serve to teach doctrine and to encourage self-reflection and student cooperation. Role plays used to meet these goals in a contracts course include: a contract controversy, jury instructions and argument, mock appellate argument, negotiation, a trial, counseling, and legislating. (MSE)

A study investigated the effect of law students' personal values and attitudes on their demonstration of adversary behavior by comparing their responses to a questionnaire about Machiavellianism and the adversary principles of the American legal system with behaviors in witness interviewing. (MSE)

The law is seen as the single most powerful social force preserving and legitimating the prevailing distribution of power in U.S. society. Questions of social justice ought not to be irrelevant or peripheral to the study of law. Meaningful and enduring change in legal education is seen as illusory. (MLW)

It is argued that the Socratic method of teaching law as depicted in the book, movie, and TV series "Paper Chase" is not really the Socratic method at all. The genuine Socratic method and the questioning technique used in "Paper Chase" are examined and their appropriateness and effectiveness as methods for teaching contract law…

Small-group learning, it is suggested, has several benefits for law students that they cannot otherwise obtain. The work of scholars in the social sciences can help to better understand ways in which to structure and facilitate the use of small groups in the law school curriculum. (Author/MLW)

The problem method is defined and legal education objectives and achievement of those objectives by the problem method are examined. The use of the problem method in specific courses is discussed. An appendix lists problem method materials currently available to law teachers. (Author/MLW)

The clinical method of legal instruction, its goals, resources, and the process of individualized clinical teaching are defined. The development of such a program at Cleveland State University and a study of the activities involved are described. Issues of program design and teaching, including the student teacher relationship, are addressed. (JMD)

A discussion of the new era of legal education in Russia examines the general structure of the legal system and related careers, legal education within and outside the universities, costs, and curriculum design. A more detailed look at the St. Petersburg State University law school examines the curriculum, teaching methods, testing, instructional…