Whether law schools should remain institutionally neutral concerning fundamental political and moral issues facing society is examined. The discussion looks at the purposes of the university in the modern world, the core of knowledge needing preservation, areas of inquiry no longer valid, new priorities for inquiry, and faculty role. (MSE)

The potential for conflict between two roles of the law professor, as teacher/scholar and as paid consultant to clients, is examined. Concern is expressed that strongly held views sometimes as a consequence of an advocacy role may distort the scholarly role, compromising academic freedom. (MSE)

The Association of American Law Schools' statement on faculty tenure reviews tenure-related issues and results of a national study of tenure policies and practices. Issues discussed include the end of mandatory retirement, alternatives to tenure, faculty evaluation criteria, probationary period, and confidentiality. (MSE)

A theory of legal seminars is suggested, and procedures for implementing it through student-centered research and writing projects are outlined. The theory's implications for student readings and class discussions and for seminar content are also discussed. (MSE)

A discussion of the professional responsibility of law schools focuses on the need to highlight professional issues within the curriculum, pro bono policies, access to and delivery of legal services to those who need them, equal access to legal education, and more effective treatment of issues related to race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual…

An informal study investigated the extent and effectiveness of student use of three forms of instructional materials (basic textbook, casebook, and computer-assisted exercises) in a law school course on evidence, based on comparison of student performance with self-reported use of the materials. Only the computer-assisted exercises appeared to…

Discussion of learning disabled (LD) law students looks at what constitutes a learning disability and explains circumstances leading to increasing numbers of LD students in law schools. Manifestations of learning disabilities in writing are examined, problems with this in the law school setting are noted, and early identification and interventions…

Disjunction between what law teachers mean and how students interpret what is being taught explains why a significant number of law students are not learning or performing at their capability levels. The comments of diverse students at nine law schools can help teachers understand what creates barriers to learning and what helps students learn.…

In April, 1991, Timothy McGuire, a third year student at Georgetown University Law Center, published an article in the Georgetown Weekly Law Review entitled "Admissions Apartheid," which accused the admissions office at Georgetown of admitting minority students who were less qualified than white students. The analysis provided in this…

One of the suggestions for improving the professional development of school leaders is to adopt some of the practices used in other professional fields. This paper explores three models of professional development traditionally followed in medicine, law, and the Catholic priesthood to assess the extent to which these approaches are likely to…

This instructional guide focuses on legal careers, a part of the Business Services and Technology Program developed by the Michigan Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education. It provides a variety of curriculum materials for teaching about the occupations of legal office specialist and legal assistant. The legal office…

To determine whether U.S. Supreme Court judges have a systematic attitude toward court cases dealing with the law of newsgathering and fair trial-free press, and whether that attitude can help predict the outcome of the pending case Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court (II), this paper applies an attitudinal theory from the field of social…

The population of University of Maryland law students seeking mental health counseling in a four-year period is described. It is concluded that students were receptive to counseling services that were both accessible and nonthreatening, and that the services provided a forum for expression not available in the academic program. (MSE)

Several states have recently commissioned special task forces to investigate and report on the status of women litigants, attorneys, and court employees. The reports present law schools with an urgent challenge and exciting opportunity to rethink and reconstruct legal education. (Author/MSE)

Applications to law schools have slipped steadily since 1990-91, and current applicants have a 70% chance of admission. Faculty are seeing more students with mediocre skills in writing and analysis. Institutions are providing more academic support, and some are cutting enrollments. However, law schools often are a prime income source for their…