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Workshop for New Law Teachers
June 21–23, 2001
Alexandria, Virginia
William J. Rich,
Washburn University,
Chair, Planning Committee for 2001 Workshop for New Law Teachers
On behalf of the Planning Committee, which includes Kate Bloch of University of California, Hastings, Michael Olivas of University of Houston and Leti Volp of American University, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 2001 AALS Workshop for New Law Teachers. We appreciate this opportunity to share in introducing you to the pleasures and challenges of a career in law teaching.
As a teacher, you will face the daunting task of mastering a subject well enough to convey it effectively to others, and the joy that comes from completing a well-taught class. As a scholar, you will struggle to create new knowledge, and in that pursuit you will enjoy the freedom and autonomy to follow your ideas wherever they may take you. As a citizen of your law school, you will discover both the satisfaction of helping to shape an institution and the camaraderie that comes from working closely with your colleagues. Finally, being a law teacher gives you many opportunities for public service. In all of these roles you will experience personal rewards while at the same time making a positive difference in the lives of others.
This year’s workshop is designed to introduce you to all facets of your new career: teaching, scholarship and service. For teaching, we will offer overview sessions on “tips” and “nuts and bolts,” as well as sessions focusing on learning theory, interactive teaching methods, and alternative assessment techniques. To help you think about scholarship, two successful scholars will approach the subject, first from a “big picture” perspective, and then from a more practical side taking you through the steps of writing for publication. Luncheon talks will focus on links between service, teaching and scholarship and steps you should take to meet the expectations of your dean. We end the workshop with a panel discussion led by relatively new law teachers who will share their accounts of getting started in this career.
We know from past experience that much of the value of this workshop will come from discussions among participants and presenters, and we have set aside time for small group sessions on teaching and scholarship. Presenters and Planning Committee members will lead those discussions. While meeting in small groups, we hope you will learn from each other and also begin to establish collegial relationships with faculty from other schools.
Our goal for this workshop is to provide you with a start to an exciting and rewarding career. Some of the ideas you hear about in the next two days may stay with you throughout your life as a teacher. You will either forget or reject some ideas we present, and you will undoubtedly improve upon some. We look forward to future opportunities to share experiences that build from this beginning.