Comments on: I’ll Have What They’re Having http://madisonian.net/2008/08/21/ill-have-what-theyre-having/ a blog about law, tech, culture, and related things Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:59:42 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Mike Madison http://madisonian.net/2008/08/21/ill-have-what-theyre-having/comment-page-1/#comment-258006 Mike Madison Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:33:18 +0000 http://madisonian.net/?p=1477#comment-258006 Well said, and a la Bainbridge, I would extend the point through the rest of legal education, and have done. Well said, and a la Bainbridge, I would extend the point through the rest of legal education, and have done.

]]> By: C.E. Petit http://madisonian.net/2008/08/21/ill-have-what-theyre-having/comment-page-1/#comment-258000 C.E. Petit Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:30:42 +0000 http://madisonian.net/?p=1477#comment-258000 You keep using that word. I do not think that it means what you think it does. In this case, the word is not "inconceivable," but "teach." Perhaps putting it into a formalized Aristotelian form will help. P1: Much, and perhaps most, of first-year law "instruction" concerns learning the language of the law and methods of reasoning, not substance. P2: Substantial research demonstrates that, among many well-accepted methodologies, neither strong nor weak Socratic methods produces optimal, or even acceptable, results in teaching either languages (<i>cf., e.g.</i>, "Dartmouth Method") or methods of reasoning (<i>compare with</i> more other teaching systems than I can count). C: Therefore, the Socratic method, whether in strong or weak form, is an inappropriate model for providing first-year legal instruction. You keep using that word. I do not think that it means what you think it does.

In this case, the word is not “inconceivable,” but “teach.” Perhaps putting it into a formalized Aristotelian form will help.

P1: Much, and perhaps most, of first-year law “instruction” concerns learning the language of the law and methods of reasoning, not substance.

P2: Substantial research demonstrates that, among many well-accepted methodologies, neither strong nor weak Socratic methods produces optimal, or even acceptable, results in teaching either languages (cf., e.g., “Dartmouth Method”) or methods of reasoning (compare with more other teaching systems than I can count).

C: Therefore, the Socratic method, whether in strong or weak form, is an inappropriate model for providing first-year legal instruction.

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