12.22.2006

Did you know...

... that to be a law professor, some colleges and universities do not require individuals to take the bar? Nope. As long as you have your J.D., you're all set to teach.

I found this incredibly interesting. As a person with absolutely no background in law, I would think that I'd want to be taught by lawyers who have some hands-on experience in their field. What do you think?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

One of the best professors I had in law school never practiced law. He graduated tops in his class at Yale, clerked for a federal judge and was an expert in civil procedure. And never practiced a day in his life.

I don't think that practicing law necessarily makes someone a better law professor - as long as the professor is well-versed in their area of expertise, that's what matters in the long run.

Tiny said...

Definitely very interesting... I'm sure that many colleges and universities have specific programs for those who want to teach law instead of practice it. Also, anyone who makes it through law school, in my opinion, is incredibly intelligent in the first place and is probably more than capable of teaching.

I think (from working at the OCC) I am so used to hearing how "hands-on training and experience" helps students. It's been drilled into my brain!

Anonymous said...

Yes, I believe there is a degree --an LLM (I think those are the right letters) that is basically a master's of law to go along with your J.D. for those interested in teaching.

Anonymous said...

maybe interesting...but there are tons of professors out there who are teaching to an occupation that they have never truly practiced in. So, I don't think this is much different than the rest of the "higher education" world.

Anonymous said...

I would want my teachers to have the actual experience of working in the position/field that I wanted to work in. Knowing a lot about something and actually experiencing it first-hand are 2 different things.

Anonymous said...

Curious, but not suprising. The standard resume material for a law prof is: graduated high in class, clerked for judge X, practiced 1-2 years. Professoring beats the hell out of having a real job.