Rising School Cost does the ABA regulate at all?

[haus]

BikePilot,

Are there any schools that you are aware of that are focusing more towards practical application of law?

[bigs5068]

My school just hired this professor that is setting up a bunch of practical classes. I am taking evidence in the courtroom with him right now and it is really enjoyable. We have to write motions in limine argue them etc every week. It is almost exactly what I was doing when working during the summer, but the professor obviously gives us more feedback.

I imagine lower ranked schools might focus more on practical things, because the chances of anyone from GGU or a tier 4 joining academia are minimal and they would rather teach you things a firm would need right away. This is also because firms would rather take time to train someone from Harvard opposed to GGU, but if the GGU grad can hit the ground running they might keep them around.

[Thane Messinger]

BikePilot,

Are there any schools that you are aware of that are focusing more towards practical application of law?

BikePilot is quite right:  the ABA's requirements (libraries and faculty salaries), along with US News standing and general prestige requirements, are driving the cost . . . plus human nature, which says that high cost must mean high quality.  Also, most law schools are cash cows, providing lots of money for their home schools (if they have one), or foundations, for more books, programs, and salaries.

As to your question, the school I'm aware of is Massachusetts School of Law, the bad boy of non-ABA law schools.  Last I checked, their tuition was rather reasonable.  As their faculty includes real practitioners and their DNA built around practical pedagogy, they're very much the exception among law schools.

[Thane Messinger]

My school just hired this professor that is setting up a bunch of practical classes. I am taking evidence in the courtroom with him right now and it is really enjoyable. We have to write motions in limine argue them etc every week. It is almost exactly what I was doing when working during the summer, but the professor obviously gives us more feedback.

Bigs,

Out of curiosity, is he an assistant/assoc. professor, instructor/lecturer, or adjunct?

[barond]

Detroit Mercy does innovative things such as the Law Firm Program Modules.  Its a small group of up to 10 people who are in a mock law firm essentially.  Then there is the clinics where you deal with real clients.


I am curious about how the online, Non-ABA filth can somehow takes advantage of the situation. Maybe charge 500 a credit hour instead of the 1000.  People want to get a legal education and would somehow dupe people into thinking that that education is somehow legitimate. Maybe they will win a court battle entitling their 'graduates' to sit for a bar exam.

[bigs5068]

He is an associate professor of law. It is his first year teaching and he is pretty young. He is coming straight from the real world and he is more demanding than the other professors. I personally like it and wish professors were harder on students. I don't see what anybody gets from a professor being super nice in school. I would much rather get my ass ki***ed in school than look like an idiot on the job. Anyways, he is going to put in charge of all the litigation courses and mock trial competitions soon. I think he has done a very good job in the past six months putting together new programs etc.

In regards to the non-aba schools in California majority of them are certified by the California Bar, which allow graduates to sit for the exam. I am glad those schools exist so that people can get an education in areas where it makes no sense to have an ABA school. Cal Northern in Chico or San Joaquin Valley College of Law in Fresno etc employ many people in those areas. It is also better to have some schools that are reasonably priced and not subject to the questionable library requirements and faculty salaries the ABA apparently imposes.

Also in one of the earlier posts I put up I was not trying to imply Harvard or top schools do not have practical training. I am sure they do and it is probably outstanding. I would just think lower ranked schools out of necessity put more of an emphasis on it.