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September 29 2010

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Court Watch

posted by Christy

This morning I observed domestic violence court for one of my law school classes.  It was extremely interesting and it helped me compare the cases we've read with real life people and situations.  I've had some experience in the civil court system through my summer internships, but this was the first time I went to court for a class.   The purpose of law school is to teach you how to be a good lawyer: how to research, how to think like a lawyer, how to analyze issues and make arguments, and how to write like a lawyer.  While, most professors do a good job of teaching the framework of these subjects through a casebook, undoubtedly some of the information is lost on students because they cannot relate to or conceptualize how some of these skills are put to use.  For instance, students could probably grasp income tax better if they filled out their own tax return; they might obtain a well rounded understanding of family law by attending a mediation or working through a mock settlement agreement; and property could be interesting if students attended landlord-tenant court.  I know it's hard to cram everything into one semester for most classes, but it might be worthwhile to set aside an hour of class for students to observe the local courts.

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Christy

About the Author: Christy
christy@thelawstreetjournal.com

Christy is a third year law student, who has an interest in family law and environmental law. She has been married to her husband, Austen, for a year and half and has a border terrier named Dwight. Christy enjoys playing and coaching soccer, watching Dexter and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and pretty much anything that gets her away from studying.

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