Sunday, March 24, 2013

Scalia criticizes modern law schools


“Scalia in NH: Modern law school ‘failed’ students,” as reported by Portsmouth Herald (via Boston.com and New Hampshire Union Leader)

Yes, but Scalia’s thinking is that law schools are failing for different reasons than are probably on your mind right this second:

1.     It includes too many elective classes unrelated to law;

2.     Lack of a prescribed curriculum means that the classes aren’t rigorous and allow students to be lazy and avoid ‘‘the austere pleasures of doctrinal courses,’’

3.     Scalia also poked at law professors because they are ‘‘prominent not because of how they teach but how they publish’’ and the publishing often involves irrelevant legal scholarship.

Jordan Budd, the associate dean for academic affairs at UNH School of Law was happy to report that Scalia’s critique of law schools in general had no application to their school! They focus on “substantial practical experience” with courses focusing on basic law like Constitutional law! Boy, that sure would have been awkward if Scalia had been talking about them!

Apparently Scalia did not mention that whole "no jobs" thing that modern law students care about. Maybe if we added about 200,000 seats a year on the high court that would help out.

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20130322/NEWS04/130329619

http://www.boston.com/news/education/2013/03/22/scalia-modern-law-school-failed-students/NrOcBPdPzRF8EnPg3uhiPI/story.html

10 comments:

  1. Fat Tony the gangster knows no shame.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Scalia is living proof of how impractical one becomes when elevated to a lofty position. Justices may well be outstanding legal minds, but they suffer from this disconnect from real life and real life problems.

    And did he really say "the austere pleasures of doctrinal courses"? Some, perhaps, in the same way that it's sometimes good to turn off the television and go out for a simple, wholesome walk instead. But we don't toss out the television and go Amish.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "3. Scalia also poked at law professors because they are ‘‘prominent not because of how they teach but how they publish’’ and the publishing often involves irrelevant legal scholarship."

    Insolent!

    Nothing is more important to society than irrelevant legal scholarship!

    You can't understand theories of evidence without a firm understanding of Nietzsche!

    ReplyDelete
  4. When a regular lawyer says that law school professors are unqualified due to their focus on esoterica that means nothing in actual practice they are insolent, impertinent, and deserve to be shamed publicly and humiliated before their bosses. The student is directed to read appellate opinions and do penance.

    When a justice on the Supreme Court says that law school professors are unqualified due to their focus on esoterica that means nothing in actual practice law schools have to respond claiming that their school is offering the classes that judges desire and want.

    Basically in the minds of law professors, prestige has the power to make arguments right or wrong. The question must be asked though, is it healthy for our democracy that the people we entrust to teach our lawyers law grovel before those with more prestige subserviently while lashing out feudalisticly at those with less prestige?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, clearly they operate under the entirely-correct assumption that the meritocracy works perfectly. Good ideas come from good people, which means those who went to the best schools and got the best grades. It's all an offshoot of Scalia's absurd "law schools don't work, but best schools take best kids, and best kids don't get dumber" line.

      Delete
  5. This is credible criticism from a political hack?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're getting your Justices confused. CLEARLY you are thinking of John "Obammy" Roberts.

      Delete
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