Education Law
Jul. 1, 2024
The Problem Method Part II: The origin of American law teaching
The case method of teaching law, which involves dissecting cases in class, was developed in the 19th century but was never designed to be the best method to teach young people how to practice law. The problem method, which involves teaching students to analyze complex issues, is a more practical approach to training them in what they came to law school to learn: practicing law.
Myron Moskovitz
Legal Director, Moskovitz Appellate Team
90 Crocker Ave
Piedmont , CA 94611-3823
Phone: (510) 384-0354
Email: myronmoskovitz@gmail.com
UC Berkeley SOL Boalt Hal
Myron Moskovitz is author of Strategies On Appeal (CEB, 2021; digital: ceb.com; print: https://store.ceb.com/strategies-on-appeal-2) and Winning An Appeal (5th ed., Carolina Academic Press). He is Director of Moskovitz Appellate Team, a group of former appellate judges and appellate research attorneys who handle and consult on appeals and writs. See MoskovitzAppellateTeam.com. The Daily Journal designated Moskovitz Appellate Team as one of California's top boutique law firms. Myron can be contacted at myronmoskovitz@gmail.com or (510) 384-0354. Prior "Moskovitz On Appeal" columns can be found at http://moskovitzappellateteam.com/blog.
In my last column, I described the evolution of my conversion from the "case method" of teaching law to my "problem method."
During my progression, I started thinking: "Where did this all start, and how did the case method become the dominant way of teaching law in this country?"
My research and ruminations ended up as an article, "Beyond the Case Method: It's Time to Teach with Problems...
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