Professor Cox's title for this CivPro presentation is inspired by the 1998 comedic movie, Bulworth. Similar to the fictional California senator in that film, who, via bizarre rap-like chants, tried to convey unpleasant truths about the political process, Professor Cox in this presentation will incorporate doggerel and song into his remarks to entertain you, as he emphasizes the limits of what is possible for teaching Civil Procedure to large required classes.

Professor Cox has tried numerous experiments over the years in his Civil Procedure classes to try to improve student learning. He will share in this presentation about several of these innovations and plans to include links to more information about some of these innovations on a web page matched to this presentation. See http://www.nesl.edu/academics/cox/2003aalscivpro/index.htm (This page will continue to be under construction up to and after the time of the conference; therefore, if not much is present when you surf pre-conference, be patient and check back closer to the time of the conference.)

Unlike many presenters at this conference, Professor Cox does not necessarily encourage you to try all of his (or others') innovations in your classrooms. Professor Cox has a very mixed view about what is pedagogically possible for the large required CivPro course, based on his (and others') law school teaching experiences, and based on his previous graduate school training in education. Professor Cox believes maximizing student learning cannot successfully be pursued as the law school professor's primary teaching goal. This is because law school students, administrators, the bar, and we Civil Procedure professors have countervailing goals for the class, which goals are equally important (or sometimes more important) than student learning. Accordingly, innovation designed to maximize student learning often is a risky endeavor, not always worth its costs. Tinkering at the edges is about the most we can hope to do, but hopefully such tinkering can enrich or at least enliven our teaching experiences.

So...come to the talk and be entertained
While a goofy law professor rhymes and explains
What has worked in his class and what has backfired;
Why he doubts he can achieve that to which he once aspired.

About the larger issues, whether Cox is right or has no clue,
From his talk you might still walk away with a new trick or two.