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Thursday Schedule
Program
Annual
Meeting
Home
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Thursday, January 2, 2003
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2:00-3:45 p.m.
Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning and Research
- E. Joan Blum, Boston College, Chair
- Jo Anne Durako, Rutgers University, Camden, Program Chair
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Maryland Suite A & B
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
Lobby Level
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Better Writing, Better Thinking
Moderator:
Jo Anne Durako, Rutgers University, Camden
Speakers: - Mary Beth Beazley, The Ohio State University
- Kent D. Syverud, Vanderbilt University
- Judith W. Wegner, University of North Carolina
Almost 15 years ago, Philip Kissam noted that "the writing process itself can serve as an independent source, or critical standard, that alters and enriches the nature of legal thought." How well has the legal academy used the power of writing to improve the quality of legal thought among our students? Have we harnessed this power? Do we effectively use it to inform the lessons learned in all our classes? During the maturation of the field of legal writing, the emergence of its pedagogy, and growth of its scholarship, we must continue to investigate how effectively those charged with teaching writing are at sharing the lessons learned.
This panel will explore how better writing (and better writing teaching) can lead to better thinking. Panelists will discuss how writing is used to educate the "reflective practitioner," and how the best practices in writing programs can inspire and improve legal education throughout the law school. Panelists will also investigate how legal writing teaching techniques can advance analytical skills. By making thinking visible through writing, analytical skills can be examined, critiqued, and refined. By slowing down the thinking process through the recursive process of writing, key lawyering skills can be honed. By drawing from learning theory, clinical practice, and educational evaluation and innovation, we can learn how best to ensure that what we do in class helps our students become better writers, better thinkers, and better lawyers.
Business Meeting at Program Conclusion |
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